Marvel x Capcom: Black - The Calling
by LostInTheThicket
Summary: An unconventional S.H.I.E.L.D. agent ready to prove himself travels to the world of Street Fighter to retrieve a powerful artifact. With a mysterious and evil organization gunning for him, all of his skills will be put to the test. Romance, fighting, and adventure await as the fists will fly! (Rated T : intense action scenes, some romance and coarse language)
1. Track 1 - No Good (Start the Dance)

**_DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all of its related characters belong to Capcom. Marvel and its related characters belong to - you guessed it - Marvel... and Disney. Mickey and Elvira belong to me._** ** _Marvel and Capcom also own my soul._** ** _Oh, Infinite. :(_**

* * *

 ** _I decided to create a new story after my one-shot First Impressions. You'll see more than a glimpse of Mickey's origins here. This is set after the events of Third Strike with a bit of influence from Street Fighter V. Story spoilers for A Shadow Falls are common here, so y'all are warned. Third Strike will be spoiled, too. If y'all care, of course._**

 ** _And as always..._**

 ** _Thank you for reading. :)_**

* * *

 _ **BTW, RIP Keith Flint from the Prodigy. :(  
**_

* * *

 _ **Track 1:**_

 _ **No Good (Start the Dance)**_

Dark, cloudy skies roam over the streets of Toronto on a rainy night. The sidewalks are wet, stained with puddles of rain as footsteps cause small ripples. With lights highlighting city blocks, people from all walks of life make their way inside homes and various buildings, going about their own lives.

But for one young man, his destination is a bit unorthodox. Taking the time to stare at the full moon in wonder, he knows that even though it might look like his world, it isn't.

 _'The moon is still somethin' to see in this dimension.'_

The young man arrives at his destination: the remnants of a run-down but serviceable school. After setting his sneakers somewhere safe and secure and putting on crocs, he walks up the rickety flight of stairs, each step creaking with the gentlest bit of pressure applied to it. He navigates through different rooms, checking some electronic music supplies in one room before making his way towards another.

Hearing the silence, the young man smiles with a content hum. _'_ _It's good to be home.'_

After removing his shabby coat, **Michaël 'Mickey' Villanueva** (27) shakes off water from his bouncy afro, scanning the hallways with a weary but nonchalant gaze. From checking the power supply to cleaning up areas of the school, the simple routine - one Mickey goes through - provides moments of serenity in Mickey's life. A sigh of relief eases his worries, sensing that no one's out to get the drop on him.

 _'Power's still up. That's a good sign,'_ Mickey muses in his mind. _'Warm sleep for me's always nice.'_

Mickey's feet shuffle as he enters a classroom, one more pristine than the rest. He sets some groceries and some slightly-cold chicken wings on a nearby desk, lamenting on the events of the evening. He feels the faint bit of heat starting to warm the school as he stares at a nearby window. Seeing the evident lack of sleep on his face through the noticeable bags under his eyes, he scoffs, shaking his head.

 _'Tomorrow's another day.'_

Taking some time off, putting his mission on hold, Mickey relaxes while he watches the rain, writing in his personal S.H.I.E.L.D. journal. While he listens to his music, Mickey starts to vent and reflect...

 _'Hey, journal and anyone else that's probably...no, definitely going to read this. _Mickey V, here. Again,'__ he echoes in his mind, jotting down his thoughts. _'_ _ _I have one hell of a mission, huh?'__ He pauses. _'I'm go_ _nna vent here since it's been a while and therapy isn't usually my cup of tea._ _These are my o_ _ _bjectives, should I choose to accept them: pass through the Divide; gather information about the intruders from this dimension; find the location of, recapture, and retrieve Daimonic; return to point of entry for S.H.I.E.L.D. extraction.__

Mickey pauses, looking through the window once again. _'_ _Halfway there.'_

The rain comes down somewhat hard, staining the rather spotty-looking windows. Typical for evenings in Spring, the rain offers a bit of a soothing effect in Mickey's mind. As some lo-fi hip-hop fills his ears with delicate melodies, he continues writing.

 _'It's quite something, isn't it?_ _ _…B_ eing in a different world.'_ Mickey pauses for but a mere moment, thinking about writing his next words carefully. _'_ _Starting over can be a hell of a journey, but it's hard. You think it's hard_ _in your world, right? Do you think you know your struggles? Heh. Well, you've never experienced loneliness and your struggles in another dimension.'_

Although Mickey chuckles, his words ring true as he stares at the paper and writes one more sentence.

 _ _'…_ It takes a hell of a lot out of ya to keep moving forward, to prevent going insane.'_

Suddenly, Mickey turns his head after hearing small footsteps, noticing a familiar sight making her presence known. It's the presence of a small, black-and-white beagle. Wagging her short tail, she makes her way through the classroom. The beagle hops on a chair before Mickey holds her in his hands with a tired smile on his face.

"Hey, Ellie, your favourite buddy's home," he says. "How's my princess of the night doing?"

 **Elvira** , aka **Ellie,** licks Mickey's face before she lets out a soft whimper.

"It's okay, _meine Freundin_. It's just rain," Mickey utters with a deep sigh, petting her. "It's not _that_ bad."

As he places Elvira in his lap, Mickey lightly strokes her head while watching the area around the school. The entrance of the school is quiet and unassuming like most nights; the area - dark, save for a large street light just on the edge of a nearby playground - remains still.

Mickey focuses on the silence, as constant as his goals. Meditating for a moment, he resonates with it, almost starting to appreciate a rare lull in his life. However, as he goes back to his journal, the noiseless surroundings - along with the shadows that lurk within - aren't the only thing on his mind.

 _'It's been two years now, I think,'_ Mickey jots down. _'Probably one and a half, at least. This world is crazy. This new life is crazy! Every time I feel like I'm makin' progress, I've been gettin' into scraps with fighters from all over the world. Some of 'em for no damn reason! They'll either try to fight me to prove something, fight me for the hell of it, fight me with the hopes of arresting me or fight me attempting to kill my ass. They're weird as hell…'_

Hearing his phone vibrate, Mickey takes it out and views a message. It's a charming goodnight post, paired with a picture of him posing with a vivacious, young woman. Onboard a bullet train, the woman wears a long, red headband. Mickey notices the light bruises all over their faces, enjoying their time with amusing expressions.

He smiles, knowing exactly who it is _…_

 _'A few of them aren't the worst. though,'_ Mickey writes. _'Sakura's pretty damn fun to be around. She's a real gem. She's sweet. She also hits like a goddamn truck sometimes. Plus, she's gettin' on my ass about paying her back. And I will!'  
_

Mickey chuckles as he massages his jaw. Taking the time to see a spot to his right, he reminisces about something before tending to his journal.

 _'There's also that strange woman from Shadaloo that talked like a robot. Dee. She was fast. Tough as hell, too. Plus, she's_ _ _…_ kinda beautiful, not gonna lie.' _Mickey smiles sheepishly before he shakes his head, getting back to finishing his notes. _'_ _…I hope she's okay._ _I haven't seen her again since that night some_ _months ago_ _.'_

Suddenly, Mickey hears footsteps, faint and seemingly unassuming. Looking at the door of his classroom, he shouts, "Yo! Is anyone there?"

 _Silence. No response._

Mickey quickly looks through the window to spot two hooded figures arriving at the school, their hoods dark purple with magenta trims. Standing ominously in front of its doors, the figures slowly raise their heads before staring at him. After Mickey accepts their staring contest, the hooded figures proceed, entering the school.

 _'However, things are gettin' dicey for me lately.'_ Sensing the impending doom, Mickey sets Elvira down, scrambling to finish his moment of zen. _'I_ _ _…I_ got into it through texts with someone __strange some time ago. Might be the one that entered the Triskelion, but I'm not sure. The same people are here now. Been here ever since. B _ut it ain't so bad.'__

Mickey looks at Elvira before taking another glance at the space the figures were standing in. _ _  
__

 _ _ _'…_ At least I still get to have my fun. Be back soon. Mickey V., signing off.' __Setting the journal down, Mickey catches Elvira's attention. "Alright, girl. Do you remember your 'happy place' and everything?"

Elvira barks, worried but slightly wagging her tail in response.

"Good. Go there, Ellie. Go, go, go."

Mickey guides the eager beagle to another, more secure classroom before he closes the door. Now with Elvira safe, a look of determination washes over his face as he makes his way to the foyer. Attempting to catch the intruders by surprise, he flips near a railing and uses it as a slide to meet them. With his feet slamming down on the ground, Mickey rises and sees the hooded, black-clad figures beginning to approach him.

Despite his taller, athletic physique, the figures remain unshaken.

"Hey, guys," Mickey says, donning a wide, toothy grin. "Why can't we be friends, huh? Please? I fought several people since my time here and, honestly, it's getting kinda ridiculous n-"

Suddenly, the attackers run towards Mickey, poised and ready to strike.

Leaping over the figures, Mickey whips out his phone and plays an adrenaline-pumping track before putting it in his pocket. A flash of red dances across his eyes as he shifts into his fighting stance, ever-flowing and ever-changing. Before the fight can begin, though, a resonant, ominous voice whispers in Mickey's mind.

 ** _'No. Don't even give them another second to breathe.'_**

 _'You're not in control right now. I am._ _¡Cállate la boca!'_ Mickey retorts, hearing a low, displeased growl that leads to silence. _'_ _Let me do my thing.'_

"Well, I tried! You two wanna dance again?" A mischievous twinkle almost seems to form in Mickey's eyes. "Let's dance."

 **(Now Playing: Firestarter by The Prodigy)**

As one of the mysterious figures lunges toward Mickey, he expertly weaves to the side, leaving the attacker stumbling. Like a bolt from the blue, he rushes towards the other figure. _'_ _They're not ready for this.'_

Mickey suddenly leaps in the air, kneeing the figure in the chest. The reaction he gets leads him to use his momentum; pulling their head down, he rolls over the back. Wincing in pain, the bruised figure groans and shuffles to the side. Mickey focuses in on the figure's pained groans with his hearing.

It's an older man, unusual - and uncommon - for a fighter in his world. Mickey raises an eyebrow. _'_ _Huh._ _Okay...'_

Sensing Mickey's hesitation, the other figure moves in for a counter-attack. Evading it, the two combatants exchange fast and frenetic strikes, their striking and dodging like that of a dance of death. Each fighter throws their own set of haymakers, the other avoiding, redirecting, or, in Mickey's case, absorbing them head-on.

As Mickey spots a large dagger coming out of his opponent's sleeves, he anticipates this, evading the lunging thrust aimed for his head. His moves are like a trained kickboxer, bobbing and weaving through swipes while gauging his opponent's hand-to-hand skills.

Mickey chuckles, his ego brimming to the surface as his reach proves an advantage. "Gotta be quicker than that!"

Behind him, the wounded assailant tries for a sneak attack. Hearing the shuffling of feet, Mickey swerves, spins to face the attacker's back, and thrust-kicks the hobbling figure behind the left knee. Responding to this, the other figure yells, running towards Mickey for some revenge. As her scream rings out, the hood is removed, revealing the face of a young woman.

Mickey hesitates for a second. _'_ _Huh? Strange.'_

"Well, sorry, lady! Kinda wanted to try this out," Mickey says, giggling a bit. Using the female assailant's momentum, he swerves around and seizes control of her waist, locking a hold in. With one heave, Mickey launches her over the top with a Release German Suplex. "Still respect you more than your friend over there!"

"Ugh!" The woman lands on her stomach, twirling briefly in the air before connecting with the creaky floors. "S-shut up!"

Her pained voice making her out to be a woman in her late 20s as Mickey seems to find some new development with his usual assailants.

"Why are you two still attacking me?! I'll stop if you answer me," Mickey says. "I'll keep on saying it!"

"I...N-no! I won't say a word!"

Mickey performs a kip-up to get back up on his feet. "Fine! Be difficult again!"

The wounded man snarls before he leaps at Mickey with two daggers. Using an old pro-wrestling trick, Mickey wheels him around with an Irish Whip. After seeing the figure whip around to face him, Mickey shows his acrobatic side as a capoeirista. He takes a quick step before turning and flipping in the air, kicking the wounded figure's chin as he does so.

And at that moment, the world seems to slow down.

Time seems to stand perfectly still.

Mickey, in mid-air, sees the two targets line up and forms his finger into a finger gun, shouting the magic words. **_"La Gota! (The Drop!)"_**

A circular, concussive beam of blue and white energy quickly appears in his hand before rocketing out with alarming speed. It connects and detonates with devastating force, pushing the male assailant back. As the woman gets back up, she's swiftly knocked prone as her accomplice is hurled into her. The woman, sensing Mickey's skills, runs out of the school's foyer.

"Wait! _…_ Hold on!" Mickey shouts. "Answer me, dammit!"

The woman doesn't hesitate but she takes a second to look back at Mickey before staring at her accomplice. She curses, shaking her head before leaving the school's grounds. Softly panting, Mickey walks to the injured man lying unconscious on the ground. He checks his pulse and sighs.

"He's alive. That's always a good sign," Mickey whispers. "At least I didn't kill 'em. _…_ Eh?"

Leaning closer, he sees a weird locket, taking it off the man's neck. Feeling a strange triangular metal piece on his fingertips, Mickey spots his phone on the ground.

"Time to phone a friend," he utters before a sigh of relief ends the chaotic scene.

* * *

 **Sakura's Dorm Room -** **the University of Tokyo;** **Bunkyō,** **Tokyo, Japan**

Meanwhile in Tokyo, in a single dorm room filled with adorable toys, baubles, and pictures of fighters she's met, **Sakura Kasugano** wakes up to find her cellphone vibrating nearby. With her headband still on, she rubs her eyes.

 _'What's…Who's calling me?'_ Sakura ponders, rubbing her face. _'_ _And why now?'_ She responds to the call in Japanese, too tired to check the phone number. "Hello? Who's this?"

Suddenly, she hears a friendly but fatigued voice emerge from the phone...Mickey's voice.

" _…Buenas Noches_ and _Buenos Dias_ , Sakura," he says. "It's me, Mickey,"

Stunned, Sakura sits straight up, replying to Mickey in English. "Mickey?! What the heck's going on? You sound tired!"

"Nah, some _…_ dust in the air. I'll be fine." Mickey coughs as he continues replying to Sakura. " _…_ Hey, where are you right now?"

Sakura stammers a bit before standing up. "I-I'm still home in Tokyo, but I'm in my _…_ dorm room. I thought you travelled back to Toronto-"

"Don't worry. Stay on the line."

"But why would I stay on…"

"Stay on the _line..."_

Suddenly, Sakura feels an odd vibration emanating from her cellphone. Dropping it to the ground with a panicked gasp, she sees a chromatic stream of energy with a vibrant tone pouring out of the phone's screen. Materializing from the stream, Mickey appears.

"Why did I try that out? And why did I do it after a fight?" Mickey groans, feeling a slight headache worsen. "I'm so stupid _…_ "

"You're dirty! What happened?!" Trying to say something, Sakura starts to speak but Mickey interrupts her. "Mick-"

"Hey, hey. No time to talk. I trust you. Look, we _…_ we gotta head back to Toronto."

Sakura looks confused. "How? What?! Why?"

Mickey opens a window and smiles sheepishly, raising his eyebrows. "Uh, heh, I can explain."

Astonished and a bit groggy, a feisty Sakura crosses her arms. "You've _gotta_ be kidding me."

* * *

 _ **Who were the figures attacking Mickey? What will Mickey and Sakura do? And what's the Divide and Daimonic? Tune in next time for Marvel x Capcom: Black - the Calling.**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ Hope you guys liked the story. Feedback will be welcomed. Be excellent to each other, Stay Golden, and of course... Later Days. - Thicket


	2. Track 2 - Step Into A World

**_DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all of its related characters belong to Capcom. Marvel and its related characters belong to - you guessed it - Marvel (and Disney, I forgot to say...). Mickey and Elvira/Ellie belong to me._**

* * *

 ** _Last time on MxC: Black - The Calling, Mickey Villanueva - a super-powered agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. - is assigned to recover 'Daimonic', a powerful artifact, and come back through something called 'the Divide'. After an altercation with two hooded assailants, Mickey calls his newest friend and ally Sakura Kasugano. Appearing in her dorm room, the two friends-in-arms meet once again in Tokyo._**

 ** _BTW, if you would like to know, 'La Gota' simply means 'The Drop' in Spanish. Might give you a hint on Mickey's fav genre of music..._**

* * *

 _ **Track 2:**_

 _ **Step Into A World (Street Fighter's Delight)**_

On a rather cloudy afternoon in Tokyo, Sakura crosses her arms while she stares Mickey down.

"Okay, Mickey, can I tell you why this is so weird? First of all, it's the weekend. My arcade's giving me a break from working extended hours all the time, but they said I was pushing it," Sakura says in a somewhat grumpy tone.

Mickey nods. "I know. You deadass texted me about it all week."

Rubbing her eyes with two slightly noticeable bags under them, Sakura sways her hips to the side, shaking her head. She walks up to Mickey, getting in his face. "So you _do_ know why I'm tired all the time?"

"I can tell." Mickey points to his own bags under his eyes. "Trust me. I wouldn't come here for no reason."

"So? I'm sorry for being mean, Mickey-san, but _why_ should I jump out the window with you?"

Mickey smiles, sheepish but willing to answer. "Oh, you're not jumpin' out. You're comin' with me."

"Whoa! Uh, okay, hold on." Sakura chuckles. "Second, you're a pretty good fighter, but as I said, I'm enjoying some time off from work." She flashes her own cheeky smile. "Besides, if you want a rematch, you don't have to be so strange about it."

Noticing that Sakura's still wearing her headband from their first encounter along with her cute panda sweater, Mickey laughs. "Yeah, okay, two things. One. A rematch? You're adorable, kid. _Adorkable,_ even..."

He walks up to Sakura as he pats her head, watching her flail her arms in self-defence.

"Hey! I'm _not_ a kid anymore, you know!" Sakura pouts before she smirks. "You're not that older than me! I also kinda beat you last time."

Mickey dismissively nods. "Yeah, okay, barely."

"I did!"

"And I'll beat you next time! Listen. I gotta tell you something." Now with his voice lower than usual, Mickey leans closer to Sakura. "The other thing is, well, I'm _kinda_ in some deep shit right now, so..."

"Mickey-san!" Sakura gasps, hearing his crass language.

Mickey slumps, looking at Sakura with a look of disbelief on his face. "Sorry. I grew up in New York. Deep _trouble_. Better?" The two exchange a playful stare before Mickey shakes his head, continuing to speak. "I'd love nothing more than to sleep my ass off, but I might be in over my head a bit."

"Really?"

"I can't believe I'm sayin' that, but yeah."

Sakura raises her eyebrows. Although her body language is still tense, she relaxes a bit though the worry still lingers in her mind.

"What's going on?" Her face frowns a bit, empathizing with her new friend. "Is something wrong?"

Watching her anxious gaze, Mickey places his hands on her shoulders. _I can't believe I'm doing this._ "I don't know, but I think so. I might need some help. It's better if I show you. Do you trust me?"

From her time sparring with Ryu and other fighters, Sakura ponders, using her keen ability to sense a fighter's conviction. _Mickey could've asked anyone – especially Ryu – for help, but he chose me._

Perhaps it was the bond they formed or his new love of yakiniku talking for him, but as Sakura sees the desperation in Mickey's eyes, she sighs, ever the noble soul.

"Yeah, I guess so," she says, shrugging her shoulders. "You owe me in case I miss out on work, though!"

Mickey beams, slapping her shoulders. "I'll pay you!"

"Do you have money, Mickey-san?"

"Maybe." Mickey shrugs. "Eventually..."

Sakura scoffs. "Of course."

"I'll pay you, Sakura. I got your back, remember?"

"I guess," Sakura says, smiling faintly before noticing a recent scar on Mickey's right cheek. She takes a small band-aid from her drawer and rushes over to help him. "Geez, what happened to you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Mickey says.

"Are you sure?" Despite being smaller, Sakura tries her best to cover the scar. "Are you getting into more fights with-"

"Yeeeeeees, 'sis'. Alright, come on!"

* * *

 **(Now Playing: Step Into A World by KRS-ONE)**

Playing an energetic hip-hop track from a hidden device, Mickey wraps his arm around Sakura's arm and heads for a leaping start before he closes his eyes. Through his music, he channels his powers, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Focusing on Elvira and channelling the frequencies of her familiar cries in the dark, his powers kick in, hearing Ellie's yelps over the phone.

"Mickeeeeeey!" Sakura shouts as they fall.

It takes just a moment before Mickey opens his eyes as a flash of blue and white energy appears. Faint and distant, Ellie's cries are heard in his mind. With Sakura beside him, the glow covers them both.

"Trust me!" Mickey shouts as wisps of light start to form around them.

Streams of energy envelop the two fighters as they turn into multicoloured wisps. The wisps slither and glide through the air as they quickly travel from Tokyo to Toronto. Onlookers stop and stare, amazed by the sight.

Back in the abandoned school, the wisps move through a crack in the doors. The wisps materialize as the force of the energy reverberates through the school's foyer. Sakura soon finds herself in a different part of the world in minutes, right within a strange place. A slightly decrepit school. To her, the school's colours are drab and dull, riddled with egg white and baby blue.

The wooden tiles are creaky.

It even seems that Mickey spent very little time improving the décor as some wallpaper nearby peels off the walls. But for Sakura, seeing this place as Mickey's home causes her to do the one thing Mickey wasn't expecting to do: smile.

"What a place! With a little bit of elbow grease, though, this could look pretty cool," Sakura says, looking around the foyer as she hums excitedly.

Without warning, the two hear a sound nearby. A commotion followed by loud barking. Mickey's eyes widen.

 _"Scheisse!_ No time to renovate, Sakura! C'mon, let's go!" Mickey shouts as he rockets up the stairs, skipping a couple of steps along the way.

Sakura quickly follows him as the two make their way to another classroom - a familiar classroom for Mickey. They immediately see the same hooded man Mickey knocked out a while ago, harassed by Elvira. Still injured, he suddenly spots Mickey and Sakura before he lunges at them for a surprise attack.

Uttering a soft melody and using it as his conduit, the same globe of energy forms and appears in Mickey's right hand as he hurls it at his attacker.

" **La Gota!** "

From out of nowhere, however, Mickey quickly spots a blue glow from the corner of his eye…

" **Hadouken!** "

Sakura fires a super-quick Hadouken - blue and pink in colour - as both projectiles connect. The hooded man yells in pain before he tumbles over a desk and falls to the ground. The song ends as the two fighters look at each other after a job well done.

Impressed, Mickey smirks before he gives Sakura a playful nudge. "Nice."

Sakura grins, crossing her arms. "Thanks, Mickey-san. I was a bit faster, though~"

"Yeah, okay."

With a pleasant yet teasing smirk, Sakura returns Mickey's nudge before Elvira emerges. The three stare at the hooded man, hobbled and dazed.

"You want me to tie him up?" Sakura says while she takes off her headband, moving closer to the assailant.

"Yeah, but no need for that headband," Mickey replies. "I got somethin' better. Let's head back to Tokyo."

* * *

Back in Tokyo, a tired Mickey and Sakura arrive in the latter's dorm room with Elvira and the assailant. With his hands and legs trapped in bubbles created from Mickey's sonic powers, the assailant is dropped to the floor.

Elvira barks while Sakura tries to calm her down. "He doesn't look so tough," Sakura says.

"True, but he doesn't fight fair," Mickey says, leaning down to see the assailant eye to eye. "Do ya, _mein Kumpel?"_

He nudges the assailant as the man sits up straight. Middle-aged with salt-and-pepper hair, he lowers his eyes on the ground. Despite his withered face, he looks quite strong for someone his age. Now staring at Mickey knowing damn well what he did, he speaks softly and bluntly in a low, rumbling tone.

"The strong shall never be intimidated by the weak," the assassin utters. "Separating us will do you no favours. We'll be back, teaching you a lesson. Sheep."

"Easy for you to say!" Sakura shouts while she gives the beagle back to Mickey. "You're in no position to talk." She motions for Mickey to get out of the way and takes the man's hood off. "Who are you? Why did you try to attack us?"

The ominous man chuckles at Sakura's indignation. Noticing the man's condescending nature, Mickey whistles and closes his fingers into a fist, shrinking the bubbles. Squeezing his hand, the tension formed by the bubbles causes the assailant to cry out in pain.

Sakura covers the man's mouth and turns to Mickey, silently urging him to ease off. As he does so, she notices a necklace on his person.

"Hm? Well, what's this?" Sakura smiles before she reveals the necklace. The end of the necklace is pyramidal in shape with an eye on one side. The assailant's eyes widen as he mumbles something incoherent under Sakura's hand. "Um, Mickey?"

Mickey sets Elvira down as he leans over to glance at the necklace. "Yo? What's up?"

"I…hey! Ow!" Suddenly, Sakura yelps as she checks her hand, wincing in pain. "He bit me hard!"

With a look of ire in his eyes, Mickey knocks the assailant out with a swift but powerful left cross to the chin. Elvira barks and whimpers as she paces towards Sakura, trying to lick any wounds. However, Sakura, opting to nurse it herself, smiles and pets the helpful beagle before turning to Mickey.

"Ow. You didn't have to…" Sakura pouts, seeing Mickey taking a moment to calm down. "Never mind. You have any ideas?"

Mickey shakes his head - silent and seeing the downed man. After a minute, Sakura has an idea, but she stares at him with a weary look. At first, she's reluctant to speak but opts to, seeing Mickey's unwavering expression of anger.

"Well, I might know someone that can help," she says, "but I…I have to know before I call her." Sakura crosses her arms with a pout. "Why did they attack us? Why you?"

Mickey pauses, staring into Sakura's eyes. _Shit._

Ever since he arrived in her world, his plan was a mission known only to him, one that didn't really offer anything in the way of making long-lasting connections. It was a surprise to Mickey how brief that fact lingered after his many encounters. But now, as he spots the assailant and the necklace, Mickey stares at Sakura with a worried look, caught between the truth and another white lie.

Sakura frowns before putting her hand on Mickey's shoulder. "I won't tell anyone we don't know," she says with a reassuring smile. "Trust me, 'kay?"

Mickey smiles. _I guess the cat's out of the bag._ "Alright, but you ain't gonna believe me."

"After revealing your little 'friend' you have back at the restaurant, I'll believe whatever you have to say, Mickey-san," Sakura says, a knowing wink causing the entity in question to chuckle in Mickey's head.

 _ **'She remembers me**_ … _ **and you won't forget me, too. In due time**_ … _ **Boss,'**_ it says to him as Mickey frowns.

Opting to ignore the entity's words, Mickey's body language softens as the tone to his words evoke signs of letting go.

"Well, if you say so," Mickey says, sitting down on the floor. After a minute to gather his thoughts, he continues. "I'm not from…around here, but you already knew that. But it's a bit bigger than that. I wasn't lying when I said I was a traveller."

"Where are you from?" Sakura asks, curious and intrigued.

Mickey sighs. "I'm…I'm not from this world."

Sakura's brow furrows, stepping back with an unpleasant look of disbelief. "What do you mean…?"

"Allow me to reintroduce myself." Mickey faces Sakura, revealing a badge holder, one with an intriguing, eagle-shaped badge inside. "I'm Mickey Villanueva of Earth-6. I'm an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and…a novice superhero, out of his damn depth."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Sakura looks up at Mickey, recalling conversations with a particular friend. "Wow. I guess what Cammy said was true."

Mickey winds back a bit, his eyebrows flexed inwards with a look of amazement. "Wait. What? Who's Cammy?"

* * *

Meanwhile, outside of the university's residence, a mysterious blonde in a finely-tailored black ladies' suit with a matching skirt looks through the window, spotting Mickey and Sakura. After checking a picture of Mickey sneaking his way out of one of Shadaloo's bases, the woman confirms his identity, striding with a sinister smirk.

As she begins to make her way inside the dorm, her stare is as cold as ice…but not as cold as the dagger that slowly forms around her hand.

* * *

 _ **What's the meaning of the mysterious necklace? Who's the ominous woman gunning for Mickey & Sakura? And how did Mickey become an Agent of SHIELD? Tune in and find out on another track of Marvel x Capcom: Black - The Calling!**_

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : Decided to continue this and not make this a one-and-done story. There will be more, but it won't be as frequent as _Portal Pals_. I'll let you know soon. Be excellent to each other, stay golden, and of course...

Later days. - Thicket


	3. Track 3 - Silver & Gold (Part I)

**_DISCLAIMER: Street Fighter and all of its related characters belong to Capcom. Marvel and its related characters belong to - you guessed it - Marvel and Disney. Mickey and Elvira/Ellie belong to me._**

* * *

 _ **Last time on The Calling, Mickey and Sakura meet once again as Mickey recruits her for their inevitable mission. After travelling back to Mickey's hideout, they quickly take care of one of Mickey's mysterious attackers. Back in Tokyo, they realized that the assassin may be part of a sinister group. It was at that moment when a woman with strange, cryokinetic powers made her way to Sakura's dorm room.**_

* * *

 _ **EDIT: Fillin' in some small details. There might be a big change since my MCU timeline knowledge sucks. But if you're new to this story, this and the following chapter is done in Mickey's perspective as a flashback.  
**_

* * *

 _ **Track 3:**_

 _ **Silver & Gold (Part I)**_

 _…_

 _Thanks for the water._ _…I'll talk. I'll_ … _try to start from the beginning, and you'll know everything about me. Promise._

 _But_ … _here's what happened with me and Sakura._

 _…_

 _Looking into Sakura's eyes, I didn't know what felt weirder to me. The fact that she knew about S.H.I.E.L.D. or what happened next. Man, it happened, like, a minute later. But lemme tell you, it was a painful minute. I couldn't even describe it, but I'll try to…_

 _Sakura and I had this hooded guy dead to rights, right? He was a creepy little bastard, but we knew there was something off about him. Sakura looked at me with this scared look on her face. And then suddenly, we felt this strange drop in temperature._ _I remember turning to her as my body started to shiver._

 _I said,_ _"Wait. Heh, you know about_ _ _…_ Yo, Sakura, you feel that?"_

 _"Yeah, yeah, that's definitely not normal," she told me._

 _She was shivering in her air conditioner-free dorm room, so that was a bad sign already._ _It wasn't cold in Tokyo, trust me. Judging by the look on her face, I thought I screwed up and unleashed a curse on the world by taking that man's necklace._

 _ _…__

 _No, I didn't._ _But lookin' back at it now? I only wish I was so lucky._

 _As the room turned ice cold in about a minute, my eyes were heavy, and my focus was almost shot to shit. But even when I felt like a human popsicle, I couldn't forget a sight like the one I saw. I_ _caught a glimpse of this_ _ _…this_ well-dressed woman gliding across snow and ice like it was nothin'. She had her hand out like a dagger. It looked like it was encased in jagged ice._

 _She was aiming for me and I knew I had to act fast._

 _But from the corner of my eye, all I saw was Sakura's body leaping in mid-air as she tried to protect me. Without thinking, I used whatever strength I had to create a part of my Sonic Bubble in front of us._

 _Hm? Oh, it's just the name one of my_ _…defensive techniques, but that's not important._

 _Anyways, we were safe from the surprise attack, but it wasn't enough to stop the momentum from knocking us out the window._

 _I was too cold to even react, so all I did was hold on to Sakura to keep her safe. I had to. She's a good friend to me. She's like_ _ _…_ the little sis I've always wanted, y'know? _

___…___

 _She was safe from the fall, but not me. All I felt was intense pain._

 _And then, before you know it, my world went dark._ _ _You know, heh, you know that m_ ost people often say that right before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. Well, if that were true, I need to tell the big man upstairs to give me the extended edition._

 _ _…__

 _Yes, I didn't know anything else. I was out cold. But I guess you wanna know more about me. More about who I am, right, Officers?_

 _ _ _…___

 _While I was out, the next couple of memories I had were about my life. I dreamt I was back in South Jamaica, Queens. it's my hometown. I was turning 19 that day, so I decided to spend time at a pizza place at 164th and 162nd with my old crew._ _Pizza's good, but eating the good shit?_

 _Living the good life?_

 _You gotta take a little out of ya to get a lot in return._ _Fortunately for me, I had a bit of an advantage on my side._

 _Yeah, my 'circles'. My powers._

* * *

 _ **(Now Playing: If I Ruled the World by Nas ft. Lauryn Hill)**_

 _How did I get my powers?_

 _…_

 _I honestly don't know. I'm sorry. I wish I can tell ya. I don't even remember enough to give you the specifics._

 _I can tell ya that in my world, I ain't one of those new Inhumans. And I'm definitely not one of those mysterious mutants roamin' around my world. All I know was that I was in the middle of a freak thunderstorm and_ _…well, things got a little hazy after that. And before that.  
_

 _I was_ _…fifteen on that day, I think. That's all I know. I had my powers when I turned sixteen if you could believe it. It just_ _…happened one night.  
_

 _I was mad because of something stupid and my dad snapped in German. I remember feeling anger and bitterness. I was so mad for some dumb reason. My face was, just, red with rage. I remember my ears and brain feeling like they were about to split. And then_ _…_

 _…_

 _Do you know that little voice in your head tellin' you to do things you probably shouldn't do? Well, let's just say it grew a bit louder that day._

 _ _ _…___

 _Yeah._ _I remember what happened next._

 _I_ _…I yelled, raised my hands, and the next thing I knew, all we saw was blue and white. Suddenly, I watched my dad's body flying down the stairs._

 _…I heard Papa crying out in pain. I was in disbelief. I didn't know what happened until it was too late. I saw my Mamá and she was so mad. She was so angry with me but I saw the fear in her eyes. I just locked myself inside my room. That was the first day I felt the walls closing in. I_ …

 _Hm?_

 _…It means nothing, don't worry about it. It's my problem. I'm dealing with it._

 _My dad?_

 _He's still alive, but he's never been the same since the incident. He could still talk and move his arms, but_ _…he'd never walk again._ _I thought my parents would throw me out on my ass or call the police on me or worse. So in my mind, I did the only thing I could do._

 _One night when she was asleep, I kissed my Mamá on the forehead. And then I ran away._

 _It was a week until I made my way to the hospital where my dad was. That night, I looked at my poor old man sleeping on his bed, apologized, and then I left. I couldn't look either of them in the eye or be in that house after what I did._

 _I haven't seen them since._

…

 _A couple of months and bad memories later, I hooked up with my boy David Romero - Two-Tone. Why Two-Tone? He gets creative with the colors of his guns._

 _Yeah, he's a criminal._

 _But he and I got along because, well, we needed to stick together. Even back in 2007, the neighborhood didn't give a damn about 'troublemakers' like us._

 _I still remember 'celebrating' my 18th birthday near a quiet alley down the block._ _"Two-Tone, when does it end, man?" I was sitting on the corner hidden from everyone else. I said, "We're a couple of little losers, man."_

 _You know what he told me?_

 _"¿A poco? Ay, güey! What are you talkin' about? Stop being a moody little shit."_ _He said that, dripping with his 'charm'. For a kid who was only a year older than me, he was rude as hell sometimes._

 _I said to him,_ _"Yo, dude, we gotta find a place, man. I've been robbin' people just to make me full 'til the next day. It ain't gonna last. Hell, we ain't gonna last!"_

 _"I know, man, I know," he said, smoking a cigarette. It smelled like portable death, but second-hand smoke was the least of my concerns. "That's why it's time for us to get an upgrade."_

 _Hm, what do you mean when I say upgrade?_

 _Well, long story short, we used Two-Tone's connections to form a group with other 'no-good outcasts'. We took the name of a gang in the 70s that didn't get enough traction, but they always looked cool._

 _Las Calaveras. The Skulls._

 _We terrorized Queens and other boroughs, sometimes branching out somewhere else. Money? Respect? Fear? You name it, we eventually had it. Piece by piece. And if you messed with us, you messed with me._ _For some reason, Soundclash became my alias. They always used to call me that and I didn't know why, but it sounded cool, so I rolled with it._

 _…I'd know why soon._

* * *

 _ **(montage of Mickey and Las Calaveras' bank heists throughout Queens)**_

 _ _…__

 _I was in a gang, yeah. Who could believe it, right? But it's the truth._

 _For three years, I was a criminal with a pretty sizeable gang. With me in the mix, the original four members got away with our crimes due to our skills and my abilities. I realized we can think quickly on our feet with a great plan, better preparation, and some of my sound bombs when shit hits the fan. Especially if you had a tight soundtrack for robbin' people._

 _In only two of those years, we 'earned' enough to have our own digs away from prying eyes. Heat, water, a comfy bed, everything. I even had a room big enough to put all my old wrestling posters up on the walls, especially my favorite Screaming Mimi poster._

 _Who's Mimi? A pro wrestler and ex-small-time supervillain. Sound powers, just like me. But they're a bit different. 'Screaming' Mimi Schwartz. That was her name._

 _ _…__

 _Yeah, we're a bit alike. Trust me, you'll find out more about her soon._ _And no, no heroes stopped us. We were too good for our own good and they weren't a lot of them at the time. Besides, they were too busy handlin' bigger shit. We had a run-in with_ _…_

 _Huh? My sound bombs? Well, if you had powers, you'd know when to use them when the time is right._ _I'll get back to telling you everything. After all, it's important._

 _Oh? You want a break? Okay.  
_

* * *

 _Are you back? Alright. I'll continue._

 _You know that memory I told you about after I tried to help Sakura not die? Good.  
_

 _I freshened up in my room, slid into my fresh Tims, and got my headphones on. Like I said before, I was at my favorite pizza place on 164th and 162nd. My crew invited me there to talk about my last bank job. I thought that with the money I had, I can start livin' the good life. I didn't need to, but I thought I had one more run in me. Why not, right?_

 _It wasn't until I had my first slice of pizza that I realized it wasn't a bank job. Two-Tone planned to hit up a corporation. A big one, too._

 _"Brand Corporation or something," he said. "The word on the street is that they're a subsidiary of Roxxon with mad skeletons in their closet."_

 _Two-Tone tossed me his phone with texts of an event going down in Manhattan. They were looking to showcase a high-tech, fully functional railgun meant for equipping troops. A secret meeting with investors, top-level customers, and heavy security. The ultimate heist._

 _I was stunned._

 _"No recoil? No sound? No heat?" I remember turning to Two-Tone with a dumb look on my face. "You serious about this?"_

 _He nodded with a wide grin as two more people, a guy and a girl, chuckled. I'll get to them later._

 _Two-Tone said, "Yup. Railgun's to be…'revolutionary', heh."_

 _I found out that the device could swing for a million-dollar payday…maybe more. Finishing my pizza, I knew that if we pulled this off, Las Calaveras would be legends._

 _"When do we start?" I said. I had a stupid, evil smirk on that day, but I seized the opportunity. Just like the Avengers down in Manhattan, lemme tell ya, but I'll also get to that later, Officer._

* * *

 _ **(Now Playing: Look Who's Back by KOAN Sound ft. Foreign Beggars)**_

 _With the crew, I headed down to Manhattan and slowly made my way to the building. It wasn't easy trying to infiltrate a skyscraper with only one good entrance. Private security guards were everywhere, but I knew they had to stay connected to cover ground. With some self-training and experience, I could expand or shrink my sound bombs by moving my fingers._

 _Hell, I could even 'amplify' them with my hands, but back then, that was the extent of my powers. Still, it was a useful trick._ _Near a safe spot, I threw one of my sound bombs and waved my fingers like one of those waterbenders from Avatar: The Last Airbender. And I_ _…_

 _ _…__

 _What's that? It's a good show, don't worry._

 _Anyway, I concentrated hard and amplified the frequency on their microphones to the point where those guards were damn near incapacitated. Two-Tone, Hot Box, and Hush Puppy – the boy and the girl in the pizza place – had my back as we made our way through the chaotic distraction._

 _From there, it was a simple matter of doing what we did best: make a scene and wreck shit up minus the details._

 _The security's guns were nothing I couldn't handle. Do you know what happened to my dad, right? Yeah. It was the same thing that happened to Balrog and other fighters and criminals - I wanna stress that part, by the way - in your world. I learned I could hurl my sound bombs like grenades at other people._

 _I called it my 'ace move'._ _I coined it 'The Drop' in Spanish -_ _La Gota._

 _..._

 _Damn it, shit! S-sorry! I-It does that when I say that phrase. It was by accident! My bad!_ _Why? I don't know! I guess I can_ _…channel my powers through something. Lo siento!  
_

 _I guess it's probably my whole EDM/dubstep phase that I never got out of, but don't tell nobody. I know what I said!_ _I'll tell you everything, I promise!_

 _Okay. I'll get back to my story._

…

 _So, I dropped the security left and right while I had their ears bleeding. 'This heist was easy', I thought. 'Simple smash and grab.'_

 _My crew thought so too, taking down super rowdy guards. We_ _tore a path to the top of the building with surgical precision, knocking more heads around before we hijacked the meeting. When we got there, I saw nothing but the elite's elite there. Men and women in well-dressed suits with money and influence. Even one of those guys could make me and my crew go to jail until our ghosts haunted the cells._

 _It was at that meeting I identified one of those people right away as we snatched the prototype railgun. There was no mistaking that damn smile of his. It was Tony Stark. And judging from the look on your face, you already know a lot about him, huh, Officer?_

 _He was a damn genius and the kind of man that my mama wanted to marry. Hell, you probably would, too. He had it all: money, power, fame, even being one of the world's first modern superheroes. And an ego to match. And judging from the look on your face, Officer, I'm not the only one that's a bit tired of him._

 _But the only thing on my mind was getting mine. And when we made eye contact, he knew it too. He smiled at me. It was kinda terrifying, not gonna lie._

 _"Well, I guess the jig's up," I heard him say before activating something in his chest. The next thing I knew, his entire body was slowly encased in a suit of armor._

 _It was at that moment the run was about to be a bust, but we thought we knew better._ _'Oh, shit! It's Iron Man!' I screamed in my head._

 _Two-Tone had the same idea. "¡Órale! Let's bounce!"_

 _Without a second to waste, we hauled ass, making our way back down through the stairs. At the time, it was more exercise than I ever wanted to have in my life._ _I remember Hush Puppy yelling at us._

 _"Go! Go! Go! Go, damn it!"_

 _Who? Hush Puppy. She was one of the tallest in our crew at the time and she taught us free-running. She's a bit of a hard-ass, but she's cool. Plus, free-running is pretty dope and you should try it sometime, Officer. She's_ _ _…important._ I'll talk more about her later._

 _We vaulted over stairs, railings, and the occasional security guard until we got to the foyer. Little did I know we had a hell of a surprise waiting for us. As we made our way there, my crew stopped. I remember turnin' around as confused as I could be._

 _"Guys! …What the shit? Get a grip and let's go!" I said._

 _Without speaking, they all motioned for me to check out who was in front of me. Iron Man was hovering in mid-air with his repulsor blasts at the ready._

 _"You know something? These guys can't appreciate a good infiltration," he said through the mask. "We planned this whole thing out and these chumps ruin it in 30 seconds. Typical criminals, am I right?"_

 _It was at that moment I heard a familiar voice. "At least we can kill two birds with one stone. That's all that matters. Gotta give them an A for effort, though."_

 _That was the first time I saw her. I mean, I've watched her wrestling matches all the time back in the day, but this was different. I can never forget a voice, but especially hers. She was obviously older the last time I saw her._ _She also looked different, but I recognized her right away. She was undercover, but that went out the window when Iron Man chased us._

 _She had a decent-looking superhero suit, sweet hair, and pink wings of this weird version of sound - 'solid sound'._

 _There was no mistaking it._ _ **Screaming Mimi,** aka my eventual mentor **Songbird** , was standing right in front of me._

 _Not only that, she had a look that kind of made me shake in my boots, not going to lie. But there was a part of me that loved it. One of my idols was standing right in front of me. I remember acting like an idiot in front of my crew that day._

 _"Heeey! Oh, shit!"_

 _She looked at me like I was an idiot. Yeah, I know I was. That's fair._

" _ _Yo. …Ummm, holy shit. Uh, hi. You kinda sound familiar."__

 _"Huh," I heard her say. "Is that so?"_

 _She hid it very well, but there was a small moment I swear I saw a silly smile on her face. I'll always remember that.  
_

 _I nodded. "Back in the day, w-were you S-Scream—"_

 _She chuckled and put her hand out. If I didn't steal an expensive, top-secret weapon that was probably illegal, I would've been on cloud nine after making her laugh._

 _"Not anymore, kid. Name's Songbird, now. Listen, you and your crew have something S.H.I.E.L.D. wants. Hands over your heads and we promise not to hurt you. Nice and easy."_

 _Songbird noticed my green and white headphones and smiled. They looked pretty dope. Hey, what can I say? She turned to Iron Man as he shook his head. Songbird shook her head and shrugged her shoulders before turning to me._

 _"After all, I wouldn't want to disappoint a fan."_

 _ **To Be Continued**_

* * *

 _ **What will happen next? How did Songbird become Mickey's teacher? How did Mickey go from bank robber to an Agent of SHIELD? Find out next time on MxC: Black - The Calling.**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ I really like Songbird. She is, perhaps, one of the most underrated Marvel heroes next to Cloak & Dagger. Her look, personality, and abilities were things that made her a perfect foil for Mickey. She'll be a nice foil for him, I think. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it. All feedback will be appreciated. EDIT: And yes, I changed some things. I'm sorry.

Be excellent to each other. Stay Golden. And of course... later days. - Thicket


	4. Track 4 - Silver & Gold (Part II)

_**Disclaimer:** **All related Marvel characters and places belong to Disney and Marvel, aka. Mahvel. Street Fighter and its related characters belong to Capcom. Mickey and the rest belong to the L.I.T.T.**_

* * *

 _ **Last time on MxC: Black, we looked at Mickey's origins. Now, it's time to take a look at Mickey's origins as a hero and an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.**_

* * *

 ** _All feedback will be greatly appreciated. :)_**

 ** _This chapter was edited heavily. If y'all wanna write, get a beta. Or two. Anyways, this ties more into the MCU while still being a 616/MCU AU._**

* * *

 _ **Track 4:**_

 _ **Silver & Gold (Part II)**_

* * *

 _In my world, there's a saying. "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run."_

 _Kenny Rogers said that if you could believe it. My Mamá loved his music. I'd never forget hearing that song and remembering that verse. It represented many moments in my life, but no moment was more relatable than staring down Songbird and Iron Man._

 _Back in the foyer, I stared them both down. For the first time in a while, I was nervous. I knew my crew and I needed to haul ass, but I knew their abilities. They were all over the news. How could I not, right?_

 _Iron Man was a genius, capable of creating and maneuvering through suits that could withstand falling from space. And Songbird? Enhanced everything, flight, and unlike me, the ability to create literally anything out of sound. Plus, she used to be a supervillain like me. Seeing those wings up close stunned me, but I snapped out of it._

 _I thought my sound bombs would be useless against her, so I followed my gut and I turned to my crew._

 _"I'll cover you!" I screamed, summoning my spheres once again to kick up rocks and dirt. I made them bigger so that it could send those two back far enough for us to make our escape._

* * *

 _ **(Now Playing: The Gambler by Kenny Rogers)**_

 _We dashed right past Iron Man and Songbird as I peppered the spot around them with my sound bombs. As we made our way to the entrance, we spotted the same black-clad guards outside._

 _And they were pissed._

 _Before they were looking to fire off shots, I unleashed a wave of bombs in their direction and made our way to our getaway van. And that was when I started to realize I was really different._ _I heard Hush Puppy right beside me._

 _"Holy shit, Mick!" she said to me. "Your bombs got a different color to them or something?"_

 _Yeah, a different color. And no, they never had that color since._

 _Those words pinballed in my already frantic mind. I remember saying to her, "What the hell are you talkin' about?"_

 _Before she could answer, I heard Two-Tone in front of me as we hurried inside the van, making a quick getaway._

 _He said, "Don't worry about that! Screw Manhattan traffic! We got what we need. It's time to let New York know who the hell we are!"_

 _We shouted and hollered in laughter before we heard a familiar sound. It was all over the news on the radio, so we spent little time figuring out what it was: Iron Man's repulsor blasts. I remembered Two-Tone cursing in Spanish - the entire time, by the way -_ _as our van plowed through bikes, cars, and other stuff, experiencing close calls with other people._

 _We zipped across alleyways and shortcuts, seeing streams of energy hit the asphalt and packed ice in front of the windshield._ _They were blue and pink. Now I know I ain't a scientist, but I knew that Songbird was right beside Iron Man, trying to stop us. We made our way back home in Queens, but those two were still on our tail._

 _Finally, I heard the exasperation on Two-Tone's voice as he sighed. "Mierda! Look, there's no other option here. We gotta split!"_

 _I scoffed a bit and said, "Split? Really?! You're gonna split the damn party?"_

 _"You never split the damn party! Did you get shot in the head, my dude?"_ _That was Hot Box mirroring my doubt. He was stoic, but he always had a way of entering conversations. "You saw those two? They'll pick us apart!"_

 _We all argued in Spanish until Two-Tone screamed, nearly dodging a blast that would've flipped our van end over end._

 _"Damn it, this ain't up for debate! S.C., you and Hush Puppy create a diversion. Knock some heads if you need to. Just shake one of those pendejos off our tail!"_

 _I looked at Hush Puppy and she tentatively nodded. "Alright, but what about you guys?" I told them._

 _Hot Box lifted his head up. Behind the face mask, I saw his brown eyes and realized exactly what he and Two-Tone were planning. "Go. We got this…"_

 _I leaned forward and stared at Two-Tone's face, slapping one of his frickin' chubby little cheeks. I said something that I always kept with me, even between worlds. My own little mantra._

 _"Hey! Don't worry! We're here for this!"_

 _They all nodded with confidence. I ain't the type to be a leader. I'm more of a second-in-command kinda guy. But, at times, it's nice to sort of step into the role, y'know?_

 _I crouched forward with Hush Puppy and stared into her eyes. They were always odd. Blue with a bit of silver behind them. I noticed she was smiling behind her face mask. There was always something captivating about her. She was focused and intelligent, capable of always knowing what to say. It's like she had a plan before everyone else. She was a hard-ass, at times._

 _I said that before! That's true!_

 _But...she was the moral compass, too. She kinda had to be._ _I remember her saying, "You ready, Mickey?"_

 _I agreed and I said, "Let's do this!"_

 _The two of us immediately jumped out of the van after Two-Tone made a hard right_.

 _…_

 _It was January 14th, 2012._

 _I remember it was in the afternoon and although it was winter, some packets of ice were on the ground. No snow, though. It was cold, but that's okay._ _…_ _I hated winter for many reasons._

 _We tried to make it look like we had the railgun as we darted from place to place. It wasn't until we entered an old Blockbuster that we were followed. The store looked like crap, but no one was inside._

 _I didn't want to really hurt others. I still don't, no matter what the news said about me._ _Threatening them? Yes. Torturing them? It depends on the person. But until someone really forced our hand, we weren't the type to kill people._

 _It never happened, though. The rest thought it'd be messy. Guess they cared too much. Or, maybe, I didn't care at all._

 _It was in that store that I saw those familiar pink wings. Songbird was there._ _Hush Puppy shook her head, staring at me with her piercing gaze._

 _"She ain't here for a meet-and-greet, Mickey," she whispered. Of course, she was right about that._

 _I said, "I know, I know! She's just one person, okay? We can team up."_ _I didn't want to hurt Songbird, but it was too late for a sneak attack. "We could always—"_

 _Songbird glided through the window, searching for us._ _"Always what? Get away? There's nowhere in New York you two can run off to. Even if you did, you won't find a place safe enough to protect yourself from me."_

 _"That so, huh?" I spotted Hush Puppy dart from aisle to aisle, using her dexterity to her advantage as she tried to talk shit. "Seems like we're doing a good job so far."_

 _"That's only because you're a distraction." Maybe we weren't as smart as we thought because Songbird sounded very confident when she said that. "It's pointless, at best. But you make it easier for me. I'm only going to say this once."_

 _I started to inch closer to Songbird, my fists at the ready. In my crew, I was the hand-to-hand specialist. Since I was small growing up, I kinda had to be since I was fighting my bullies in Monterey and Queens. I heard her voice take on a more frustrated tone with each step. She was ready for a counterattack._

 _I think she knew how our situation would end._ _She had no idea._

 _Songbird said, "You and your enhanced friend need to stop hiding…"_

 _I took a step._

 _"Come out…"_

 _Another step._

 _"And stop resisting. Besides, this place isn't soundproof."_

 _As she spun around to face me, I did the one thing I told myself I'd never do. I gave Songbird…a running enzuigiri. What's an enzuigiri? It's a step-up kick to the side or back of the head. But unlike what you see in pro wrestling, it wasn't 'fake' or practiced. I put some heat on it._

 _The old me would've called me an asshole._ _He'd be 100% right; I kind of needed to be since shit went south. But back then, kicking one of your idols upside their dome wasn't how I rolled…hell, it isn't how I rolled now.  
_

 _"Shit…Sorry!" I said to her._

 _Why the hell did I do that? Yeah, I don't know. All I knew was seeing_ _Songbird reel back in pain, reaching for her cheek._

 _"Ow! An enzuigiri?! The hell did you do that for, kid—"_

 _Suddenly, Hush Puppy tackled her to the ground, screaming for me to aim La...my sound sphere at her face._ _Unfortunately, our foe was quick on the uptake._

 _Songbird formed a sonic hand that smacked Hush Puppy on the ceiling like a fly._ _"Like hell, you will!"_

 _I heard my crewmate cry out in pain as I tried to stomp Songbird's face as an act of revenge. Rolling out of the way, she evaded it. I caught Hush Puppy as she fell, turning to the sonic superheroine in front of me. I laid her down and walked right up to Songbird._

 _She smiled. To this day, I still think she liked the idea of beating us up._ _"Two on one, huh? You jobbers are fighting dirty?"_

 _"You started this handicap match, Birdie," I said to her._

 _Yep, Birdie. That word turned into one of my nicknames for her. I give nicknames to everyone to make it easier for me to remember their faces. But she wasn't in the mood that day. Matter of fact, as soon as she heard that, she looked at me with indignation._

 _Yeah, I'm slightly smarter than I look. I know what that word means. Ask about me. Heh._

 _Anyways, she shot back. "Alright, I'm done being polite. Stand the hell down or I'll make you!"_

 _It was like she had something to prove._ _Her small 5'5" frame walked right up to all 5'11' of me. I went through a growth spurt that seemed to be hilarious and somewhat ironic to me because I smiled with my classic, toothy grin._ _I don't know why, but it wasn't gonna be good for me._

 _I asked her,_ _"Or what, huh? Gonna yell at me real hard?"_

 _The look on Songbird's face made that day for me. But don't say that to her now, okay? This is just a flashback, completely off the record, right?_ _…Okay_ _._

 _"You think this is funny?!" she said to me._

 _That day, we had our first war of words. It never seemed to go away, but we're competitive. It's in our nature. Our eyes met, staring each other down like two billy goats lookin' to headbutt the hell outta each other._

 _I started off first. "A little bit…"_

 _"Are you serious right now?" She looked at me with a look of intensity. It was wild._

 _"So what if I am? What are you gonna do about it?"_

 _"Heh, kid, you're not even in my league."_

 _"Oh, yeah?" I said to Songbird._

 _"Yeah. What? Don't tell me I'm getting to you, tough guy."_

 _"Listen up, Birdie…"_

 _"Don't you ever call me that."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _Like an older sister, she was defiant. I wasn't backing down either. If she ain't scared, I ain't scared._

 _"Look at you, punchin' above your weight class," I told her, getting in her face. "I've seen your matches. I've seen your small-time crimes on the news growing up."_

 _"Is that so? Well, you know what I can do to people. So, step off, asshole…" She pushed me._

 _"Oh, I heard. Roxxon's secret_ _criminal_ _supervillainess turned superheroine. I read up about ya. What happened? Not good or smart enough to be the champ, champ?" I pushed her back in return._

 _"Don't push me." She pushed me back harder._

 _That day, I felt…anger, more than usual. I wasn't totally angry, but it was like something else was. Someone else was. And it wanted out._ _What happened next was a blur._

 _I_ _remembered my voice changing._ ** _"_ _Or what? Huh? You ain't good enough to be a damn crook, either. Definitely ain't good enough t' be no hero, savin' bums off the street. You ain't a tough girl. Look at your stupid-ass face with your stupid-ass hair."_**

 _By the way, off the record, I thought her hair was kinda stupid, but it grew on me. Her hair's magnificent._

 _ **"You ain't tough. Hell, you're just as broken as she is."** Not of my own free will, I pointed to Hush Puppy and slapped Songbird around a little. She flared her nostrils at me, obviously furious. **"Tch, look at ya. To think anyone can like someone like you…"**_

 _Songbird took a step back, her face looked like she wanted to punch a hole through my head. "What? What the hell did you say?"_

 _Why did I say that? Well, I don't know._

 _At first, I was just making your typical hero/'villain' conversation and then I said that. It was stupid, right? Well, judging by how angry and spooked she was, it was. I remember my voice changing back to normal, but I had little idea why I said that._

 _"Hey. What happened? What's with the funny face?"_

 _As fast as I can react, Songbird slapped the taste outta my mouth and blasted me with a pink ram's head._

 _"Shut up, you son of a bitch!" She yelled at me. I felt myself flying through the air like a ragdoll with the taste of blood in my mouth. I heard the wrath in her voice. "You don't know a god-damn thing about me!"_

 _And then, I remember my phone playing a song_ _…_

 _( **Now Playing: Soundclash by Flosstradamus & TroyBoi)**_

 _It happened automatically. I didn't know how, at the time. I was dazed and confused, calling out for either Songbird or Hush Puppy. But I knew that something was happening._

 _"Hush P-Puppy…Song-Songbird…"_

 _"Shut up," I heard Songbird say to me as she was inching closer._

 _"No…No, Mimi?"_

 _"I said shut up…"_

 _"Wait, that_ _…_ _that wasn't…"_

 _"Shut the hell up!"_

 _"That's not me!"_

 _Songbird grabbed me by the throat, fueled by anger. Talking to her wouldn't help._

 _I looked around in a panic, wondering what was happening to me. I didn't know why I did what I did next. Maybe you could ask my less-than-better half next time…_

 _I turned to a window, watching my hair and eyes turn into shades of red. Stunned, Songbird looked at me, confused as I was. I pleaded with her, a slight tear running down my face before that thing took over._

 _"S-Songbird…please. M-Mimi. What's happening to me? I…"_

 _Even though she didn't know, Songbird leaned forward - half-pissed, half-worried. "W-what the hell's the matter with you—?"_

 _And then someone else - not me, someone else - choked her, lifting her by the neck._ _All I thought was, 'What the hell?! Why am I choking Songbird? What the…?'_

 _…_

 _That's when I heard him for the first time. I distinctly remember his voice._ ** _"Oh, no. It's too late for that now. Hey, Birdie? Scream for me."_**

 _I saw one of my fists deck Songbird through the walls of the store…and through a few more buildings next to it. I turned to the window and tried to snap myself out of it, but it was like I couldn't come to the phone anymore. I was trapped in my own mind._

 _And all I heard this other person say to me was, "Don't worry, Boss. Let Soundclash take care of that hot mess over there for ya."_

 _ **Soundclash**._

 _Yep. That was my alias, but now I knew I didn't create it. It was like I was_ _ _…_ possessed or something. Or like I made an alter-ego that was all evil and shit._

 _I didn't know who this asshole was, but as soon as I had that same thought back then, he responded with, **"I'm the asshole that's gonna bust you and your weak-ass friend outta this."**_

 _He answered immediately. It was messed up, right? It still is._

 _Hush Puppy sat still, silent the entire time. I, no, Soundclash turned to see her and despite her bubbly, forceful personality, she looked at him like she saw this before._

 _ **"Hey, H.P., how are ya? Missed me?"** I heard him say._

 _She was scared._ _What?_

 _…_ _Did he beat her? I_ _…I honestly don't know._ _I haven't thought about it._ _I hate that I didn't._

 _But all I knew was that Songbird emerged with her wings, speeding in Soundclash's direction._ _What happened next was a faint blur. I was told that we fought. Matched blow for blow._

 _She tried to snap me out of it, but through me, Soundclash wasn't having it._ _"C'mon, kid! This isn't funny! You're going to hurt people!"_

 _I called out to him. Him? Her? It? I didn't know. 'Stop this! Right now!' No response. 'Please?!'_

 _I sensed the rage. The violence_ _. The aggression._

 _It wasn't until blood was poured and cars were thrown that Hush Puppy tried to stop me. She tried to calm me down…and got slapped through a glass window in the process._

 _I heard Songbird cry out to me. "No! Please stop!"_

 _As this…thing tried to walk over to her, I emerged. I wanted that thing to stop, I think. I guess I…woke up._ _"Erika?! What…What's going on? I…"_

 _…_

 _It was at that moment, I surveyed the block. Cars were flipped, tossed upside down. Several people were injured. One of them, I learned, was critically injured. I looked at Hush…Erika on the ground. She was bleeding from her face after just one punch, tears running down her cheeks. She looked at me in fear. The same was true for Songbird as I whipped around to see her. She was frozen, alarmed that I possessed enough anger and strength to almost level a whole block._

 _I spotted Iron Man nearby, sensing that Two-Tone and Hot Box were already caught. At that moment, I realized I failed. But I didn't care about that._

 _I wasn't myself. I hated myself._

 _I knelt down in front of Erika and for the first time in a while, I apologized to her. I cried out in despair. I was guilty. I was angry at who I was. …What I did. I let this…god-damn assclown inside of me and I let it do…that. …I lost control just like the night I crippled my p_ _apa_ _._ _Erika tried to console me. She hugged me, but she knew it wasn't working. In the middle of that city block, we cried._

 _I tried to apologize to Songbird, but she couldn't look at me. She held her arm as if she_ _…was afraid of me._ _On that day, I didn't see Songbird, leader of the Thunderbolts - you'll find that out soon - and soon-to-be member of the Avengers._

 _Little did I know that on that day, I saw Melissa Joan Gold. A woman scared out of her mind._

 _…_

 _A break?_ _…Okay._

* * *

 _…_

 _Break's over? Good. Back to my story._

 _After the fallout, my crew and I were arrested. Charged with a whole lotta shit I couldn't be bothered to remember. I didn't want to. I deserved my punishment._

 _I was taken to a place called the Raft, a high-tech, max-security, underwater prison for 'enhanced individuals'. I definitely didn't feel enhanced, that's for damn sure._

 _My sentence was, like, 25 years. Maybe more. It would've been worse, they said. I only spent two years inside the Raft, but it was hell. I remembered a bit about it. As you can guess, I was running on autopilot throughout most of it. I rarely got into it with anybody, but I remember being one of the 'good ones'._

 _…Don't look at me like that, Officer. Even criminals inside a prison can stop being savages. Don't get all smug._

 _When I turned 21, I noticed three people walking up to my cell. Looking at them, I noticed one of them that I couldn't believe…_

 _"E-Erika?!"_

 _I saw Hush Puppy – Oh, Erika Andrade's her name, by the way – in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. "What the shit?"_

 _She had a look of pleasant anticipation on her face as she looked at the second person I noticed. One I knew all too well: Songbird._

 _"S-Songbird? Mimi, what the hell?"_

 _She barely smiled. She wasn't entirely pleased to see me, of course, but she was there. The third person, though? I couldn't look him in the eye, but that's because I knew a lot about him seeing what he did in Manhattan with the Avengers…_

 _He was Captain fuckin' America. Steve Rogers, superhero god. And he greeted me. Oh, you know him, Officer?_ _Yeah! Me! I know!_

 _That's the one f-bomb you'll get outta me, but it fits._ _…_ _He smiled at me._

 _"Hello, son," he said to me._

 _I was six feet tall at the time, but I felt like an insect next to him. I wanted to die. I wanted to wither. Why did I deserve to have Captain America, out of all people, greeting me?_

 _…I sat down and curled up into a ball, ashamed that he would even want to talk to me._

 _ _…__

 _Why did I care? Simple._

 _I made contact with some friends of my old members from Las Calaveras. I heard that in the Raft, no one really cared about what the Avengers did all that much compared to me._ _Me?_

 _It's interesting. At first, I didn't care, either. But the more I learned about that day, the more I loved them defending Manhattan._

 _I heard about it. I saw it all. I absorbed, like, every detail. And part of me felt and knew that if I was there, I could've done something to help them from the shadows or something. No one brought New Yorkers together like that damn day._

 _And on that day, I felt guilty again. I had the power and the means to act on that power, but like here, I spent my time sitting on my ass in a jail cell. Think about it. I want you to think about that for a moment. Okay? If you had the chance to do something and stand up to_ _ _…__

 _Hm. Thought so. I knew you two would understand._

 _From that day onwards, I knew I wanted to change. I still do. Every other day when I was alone in that cell, I thought about finding a way to leave my old life behind. Move somewhere else and, I don't know, hit the reset button. Be a hero in the shadows. Be someone people could look up to, to do the things you two can't do. I wanted to better myself._

 _But in that cell, I knew that I was the one looking up to them. Especially Erika…_

 _"Hush Puppy? Erika Andrade, an agent of SHIELD?!" I said to her. She nodded with a smile. "¡Oh, Dios!, debo estar soñando…"_ _She giggled._

 _…_

 _What does that mean? I thought I was dreaming, that's all. It's nothing too serious._

 _Captain America smiled. Yeah, he smiled. I couldn't believe it, either. Know what he said to me?_

 _"Listen, I heard about what you did earlier this year. Songbird gave me a lot of intel about you." He nodded to Songbird as she looked at me with this keen stare. "I've been given your psychological profile and although you seemed erratic at times, your profile was surprisingly stunning. And based on your community service and our assessment of your powers, you had people talking. Including me, son."_

 _Songbird finally spoke up. Her voice wasn't as warm as Cap's, but it was eerily pleasant. "Plus, Agent Andrade…"_

 _I chuckled softly, looking at Erika. "Agent Andrade, eh, Erika? Heh. Lucky."_

 _Erika winked at me. That was fun._

 _Songbird rolled her eyes, continuing with what she was about to say. "Agent Andrade recommended you to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Fury, myself, and, of course, Captain America. As a result, we're here to offer you a proposal, Mr. Villanueva…"_

 _I wasn't one for 'formalities', so I smiled. Yeah, I know what the word means._ _ _Now. Shut up._ "No need to be nice to me, Songbird. Judging by that look on your face, you're dyin' to let me have it. So, come on, lady…"_

 _From the corner of my eye, Songbird turned to Cap as he smiled, calmly raising his hand._

 _"As of today, your sentence will no longer be carried out," he said. I was stunned, so I moved closer. "But only if you agree with our proposal. We're here to offer you the chance to become the newest member of a new, covert spec-ops team: the Thunderbolts."_

 _So, yeah, the Thunderbolts. They're like_ _…_ _Delta Red in my world, but it had reformed supervillains as their members._

 _…_

 _It's totally the same and the name's not lame!_

 _Anyways, I didn't know what that meant at the time, so I was beside myself. I didn't show it to those three, but I was excited._ _"The_ _…_ _Thunderbolts?"_

 _Songbird and Cap turned to Erika as she stepped forward. She looked eager and proud to be in that uniform. Plus, I admit that she looked really good in it. Oh, yeah. If y'all didn't know by now: yes, she was my first girlfriend. It wasn't a long relationship because we were better off as friends. But_ _…s_ _he made me turn from an asshole to an asshole with a heart of gold if you could believe it. Or silver, I guess._

 _"Yep! It's a team of reformed individuals working on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. to complete missions throughout the world." She was bubbly. It was nice to see that. I liked her on days like that. "After some time enrolling in a special joint program at both S.H.I.E.L.D. and New Avengers Academy, you will be enlisted as the newest member."_

 _I relaxed just a little bit, scratching my long, messy hair as I paced back and forth. "Special? Eh, what's so special about it?"_

 _At that moment, Songbird made her way in front of my cell and stared at me. Shielding her face from both Cap and Erika, she looked like she was ready to let me have it. And believe me, meine Freunde, as I was leaning in to see her face, she was about to._

 _"I'll be your personal handler and trainer," she whispered to me in a high and mighty tone. "I promise I'll take my time to really get to know you better…Mickey Mouse."_

 _A look of malice and glee was all over her face._ _At that point, I didn't know what scared me more: the fact that I was thrilled she knew my name, the fact that I was frightened, or the fact that I was aroused. I felt her words kick me in the gut as I gulped, nodding furiously._

 _"Okay._ _…I accept._ _"_

 _Cap and Erika smiled, grateful I accepted the offer so quickly. Songbird smiled and nodded slowly. Her smile was mad devious, by the way._

 _Can I_ _…play something from my phone, Officer? It helps me think._

* * *

( _ **Now Playing: Feel the Bass by JVST SAY YES and Virtual Riot)**_

 _Thanks._

 _Over the next three years from July 2012 to around_ _…_ _mid-2015, I studied at both the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Operations and the New Avengers Academy._

 _I was trained by the very best_ _…for a_ _brief period of time. From combat training with Melinda May to classes with teachers like Dr. Henry Pym to even target practice with Hawkeye, I was put through the damn ringer. And it was fast, but I absorbed some knowledge. I had to or it was back to the Raft for good and I didn't wanna go there again._

 _I befriended some fellow agents and even other heroes during my studies, especially at New Avengers Academy. I hated the name Soundclash, so I went by Virtual Riot._ _It's…based on a dubstep artist of the same name_ _. It was stupid, I know. But it was original!_

 _They all knew I wouldn't be there for long because they all saw I had 'potential'_ _when I battled Songbird. I made it count, though. I let my presence be known there for a while. I was one of the oldest ones there._

 _'Uncle Mickey', some of them said to me. My legacy there was full of loud-ass bass house, homemade food, some funny swearing tirades, and even a few bits of advice._ _I guess they liked me. Well, most of them did._

 _Finesse probably didn't, I think. Who's Finesse? Oh._

 _…_

 _Screw it._ _Her real name's Jeanne. Jeanne Foucault._

 _She's a…polymath, I think it's called._ _She knows a lot of stuff. She and I were - and still are - 'frenemies', I guess. I gave her shit, but when times were really tough on her, I had her back. Like me, she was…different than most of us._

 _"For a 'normal guy', I was an interesting one." I remember she said to me with her little Southern French accent. She didn't mean it, but hey, I didn't know._

 _I made some great friends, though. One of my good friends in N.A.A. was – weirdly enough – also named Mickey. Michiko 'Mickey' Musashi. She went by Turbo. We were class clowns. Loved causing chaos in the Academy with her. But Ava Ayala – the White Tiger – was my best friend there. She helped me reconnect with my Hispanic roots a bit and introduced me to her abuela's pozole._

 _…_

 _I was a popular guy, but I didn't pursue any relationship - friendly or otherwise. I heard some girls had crushes on me, but I politely declined them all. After what happened with Erika, I…I wanted to be alone most nights. I didn't wanna hurt others._ _Plus, I always kinda wanted to be alone some nights._

 _Penance or bliss or something like that. Or maybe it's…something in my brain, I don't know_. I _realized my desire to be alone would change the day Songbird started to train me herself._

* * *

 _She put me through her own training. It was painful. Tiring. I felt like I wanted to die._ _Some days, I thought I would. But the pain was worth it, I guess. I learned pro wrestling and worked on my martial arts style through her and two other guys: Black Widow and Captain America himself._

 _Who's Black Widow? A s_ _ecret super-spy. She's kinda like your friend Cammy over there, but less_ _…_ _angry. She could probably handle all of us in a fight combined._

 _They all kicked my ass. I deserved it but, over time, they kinda respected me. I think. I found my own style with the help of those three. It was a_ _fighting style inspired by capoeira, kickboxing, and even some pro wrestling. A style you've seen on the news, too, Officer, based on how I handled Balrog._

 _The 'Way of the Surging Fist'._ _Heh. I remember Songbird giving me shit for it._

 _"Sounds like a shit name," I heard her say one day. "I got to be honest with you. It's terribly cheesy."_

 _I remember it was during a rigorous training session, too, because I panted before I said, "Yep. Because I'm terribly cheesy."_

 _I said it as serious as I could say anything in my life. Songbird tried to hide it, but she giggled so hard._ _It was on that day, I knew…we would_ _be friends._ _And over time, we did._

 _I got to know her a bit better. She didn't leave me out of my sight, but that's how we bonded. After some days in the summer, we slowly opened up and started to talk about ourselves and our lives. Well, mainly my life. Slowly but surely, though, Songbird…Melissa came out of her shell._ _We even had our own nicknames for each other._

 _ _…__

 _She was Goldie or Birdie to me. I was either Kiddo or Hoss to her._ _What's a h_ _oss? It's a_ _…term for a b_ _ig guy that knows very little. It's a wrestling term, one that made me upset._

 _She liked it. It stuck._

 _Melissa became one of the few friends I treasured more than anything. I still do. She's my best friend. My mentor. M_ _y sworn enemy at times. A pain in the ass, too, I guess._ _But I never stopped looking up to her._

 _We talked about the things we wanted to talk about. We kept our personal secrets secret._ _Well, some secrets._ _God, I miss her some nights._

 _Heh, we had some friendly 'bonding time', too. I-I remember trying to prevent Melissa_ _from getting into it with a group of assholes that made fun of us after a night out at a restaurant._

 _I remember some prick insulting her size and her age and she snapped._ _I remember telling her,_ _"Mel…Mel…Goldie, don't worry 'bout 'em. It's fine."_

 _She said, "No, no, Mickey! This dumbass needs to hear this! Hey!"_

 _One more insult about our ages and a quick push later, it was on. We kicked their asses without powers, obviously._

 _Don't look at me like that. You would, too._

 _But, yeah, Songbird and Virtual Riot. Melissa Gold and Mickey Villanueva. We even had our own mission once. It went…terrible, heh, but I was learning._

 _…_

 _Almost five years later, I became a full-fledged Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and on my way to becoming a member of the Thunderbolts._ _But there's a classic saying in my world: l_ _ife comes at you fast_.

 _Another break? …Fine. I'll be here._

* * *

 _Okay. My story's almost over._

 _Before my debut in the 'Bolts', Songbird and I were called in to investigate a disturbance at the Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. After speaking with two scientists – Fitz and Simmons, you'll love 'em, they're adorable together – about something they're working on, I learned about the Divide._

 _What's that? I don't know and I don't know how they created it, but it's an interdimensional portal that connected dimensions like one of those_ _…_ _noodle-marshmallow towers. It's probably what they used to meet Delta Red._

 _But that day, that was the first time I spotted her stepping through it._

 _The same woman that emerged in Sakura's room. The same woman that tried to kill me and Sakura. The same woman with that look. …A look that looked like she would freeze a piece of Hell to force it up to Earth - only to say that she could._

 _She emerged through the Divide with a lot of soldiers._ _It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did._

 _"You know your mission," she said coldly. I remembered her words. "Don't fail the Emperor or death follows."_

 _They swarmed the Triskelion, using extreme force to hurt anyone in their way. I called out for Erika inside and she came to me. She was roughed up, but she and I handled worse in our time as criminals._

 _"Mickey! Songbird!"_

 _"Agent Andrade. What happened?" I heard Songbird shout, hovering beside me._

 _"I don't know," Erika answered back. "Some hooded guys came through. Talked about stealing 'a portion of the Sun to cast this world in shade' or something like that."_

 _At that moment, we all saw Iron Man gliding through. "Fido's right."_

 _Yup, heh, Fido._

 _You already know Stark's a bit of an ass, but he made me laugh sometimes. It was a cute puppy's name. Oh, man. If it wasn't for that situation, I'd have been laughing my ass off. But looking at her face, Erika wasn't about it. Unfortunately for her, he was one of her bosses._

 _"Um, okay. It's Hush Puppy, sir," she told him._

 _Stark didn't care, I think. He was hard to read._ _"Yeah, yeah. I know. But you're still right. That woman's looking for something and I think I know what it is…"_

 _"What am I right about?"_

 _"They're searching for one of a pair of rings S.H.I.E.L.D. and I gathered a while ago after I stopped A.I.M.," he said, firing a repulsor blast at a hooded prick. "They'RE located here. I know it's Incandescence. I…Wait. Agent, did you say 'shade'?" I saw Erika nod. "_ _Shit, it's Daimonic!"_

 _Daimonic?_

 _It's a ring. I don't know what it does. That's why I'm here. Hell, I couldn't even begin to explain why that name sounded stupid, but innocent people were there. I was all business._

 _"Look, no time to explain," I said. "We got shit to do."_

 _And so was Songbird because she surprisingly agreed._ _"Agent Andrade, take care of any injured people here and escort them out of the Triskelion. In and out, just like back in the day. Handle any threats if they choose to engage. Excessive force isn't needed, but the sooner you take care of them, the better. Remember your training."_

 _Man, I loved it when she took command like that. She's like you, Officer White, but better. You should hear her. She gets your blood pumpin'._

 _Armed and dangerous, I saw Erika nod, heading further into the Triskelion. "Okay, understood! Be safe, you two!"_

 _Songbird and I tried to remedy the situation, making our way to a large lab where the Divide was. We kicked ass and saved lives…had some close calls, too._

 _I won't bore you with more details, though, because soon after the interdimensional theft, that woman and her goons found what they were looking for. It was a small, glowing ring. Daimonic. She used it to blind all of us and escaped through the Divide before it started to fizzle. It was too late._

 _"Crap! She got away!" I heard Iron Man say. When he was worried, things were bad. It was like when S.H.I.E.L.D. almost fell to HYDRA bad, but worse._

 _I remember thinking to myself, 'No. Not today. Not while I'm here.'_ _I looked at Songbird, ready to do something stupid again. "Look, there's no time. I gotta go. Now!"_

 _"What?!" She looked at me with those green eyes. "You can't, kid! What happens if you're lost?"_

 _I was frozen. Not only because she was right but because that was the first time I noticed how beautiful she was. I gotta admit, Abe's a lucky guy. Hm? Oh, Abe Jenkins. Engineer. He builds some cool-ass suits. Good guy. He's pretty chill. Calls himself Mach-Whatever or something, I lost count. I just call him MACH or Abe or even A.J. …It's easier._

 _"No, you guys will find a way! I gotta get it now! Hold down the fort here." I turned to Iron Man. "Stark, please."_

 _Stark revealed his face behind his helmet and gave me some gadgets…including my new and improved headphones. The ones you saw around my neck and probably took as evidence, the pink and white ones._

 _"A gift from Agent Gold and S.H.I.E.L.D., so consider yourself lucky. I'm usually not the giving type."_ _Tony was an ass sometimes, even when he's being nice. He held my shoulder. "You have your orders, Dancing Queen. Retrieve Daimonic and make sure that wherever you end up, you come back there. Do this…and who knows? Maybe you'll be an Avenger."_

 _I grumbled and smiled with a nod, too quick for me to retort hearing his nickname or to act like a fanboy mark._

 _Erika followed and gave me a hug. Even though we weren't together anymore, she valued me like a dear friend. The feeling was mutual._ _"Don't die. Two-Tone would kill me," she said to me._

 _I smiled and nodded. "You got it, H.P." Finally, I turned to Songbird. "Soundclash - whatever it is - was wrong, y'know._ _"_

 _Songbird landed on the ground, looking at me as she was thinking back to that terrible day almost five years ago. It was all over her face._

 _"What do you mean?" she said._

 _I gave her the biggest hug and whispered softly in her ear. "I like you, Melissa. …Thanks for not giving up on me_ _. I ain't gonna give up on you. I promise I'll make you proud."_

 _On that day, I saw the real Melissa Gold. Scared. Terrified. She…_

 _Let's just say in my world, people like us aren't as perfect as you two seem to be. All you two need to know is that she didn't want me to go and her hug made it really clear._

 _"Please don't go," I heard her whispering to me. "It's too_ _—_ _"_

 _"You, Erika, and Tony can handle things here. It's okay. I got this."_

 _"Mickey."_

 _"It's okay, Mel. Hey, be easy, right? Remember that." I watched her nod. "No matter where we are. Just like what you told me and just like what we talked about." I said that as I saw her nod and smile. "I'm never gonna leave here. I'll always be with you."_

 _I had to. I had to. The Divide was closing and due to the structural damage and the way it was glitching out, I didn't know if it'll be open again._

 _She stared at me, trying to hold back tears. Just like the 'consummate professional' she wanted me to be. "Agent Villanueva? …Mickey, if you don't come back, I swear I'll—"_

 _"Shh."_

 _Unlike last time, I gave Melissa a light, teasing smack on the chin. She pretended to be shocked as we laughed. It was our thing. It was silly and stupid, but we liked it. Suddenly, without thinking, I gave her a kiss on the forehead. She hesitated, but she smiled wide. I still like to think it made her feel better._

 _I promised her I'll be back and, gathering my things, I headed for the Divide. I looked at everyone around me and smiled. They were stunned but grateful. The last person I saw was Melissa. The last thing I said to her looked like it touched her heart because she smiled, laughed, and nodded when I said it._

 _I said, "And, hey, when I come back, I'll treat you and Abe to a nice, romantic dinner on me! I'm here for this!"_

 _I closed my eyes, hopped through, and the next thing I knew, I saw streams of energy like ribbons. I saw moments in time and things I couldn't tell you. Not that I won't, though. I really couldn't. It felt like gliding through tubes or something._

 _Suddenly, I found myself in a run-down, abandoned school. It was in Toronto but I'm sure you know the rest._ _That same night, I found Elvira. A cute dog. She's a stray beagle. But, that's another story._

 _The rest is history…_

* * *

Ending his story, Mickey sighs, staring at an egg-white interrogation room - one that now has a small hole in it.

Finishing his grilling session with Interpol agent **Chun-Li** and Delta Red agent **Cammy White** , he shakes his head. "That's it. That's my story."

Alive and a bit banged up, Sakura looks on from behind a wall. Nervous for her new friend and stunned by his story, she simply stands with her hands clasped, taking in the moments as Mickey recalled them. Dumbfounded, Chun-Li and Cammy turn to each other as they stare at him.

"Well, not all of it," Mickey says. "I'm gonna get my ass kicked and probably crucified for spilling all of this, but I don't care."

Cuffed to the ground and to the table, he bangs his fist down. "Stop. Wasting. Time. We need to find that ring. And fast."

* * *

 _ **What will happen next in this race against time? Hell, I don't know. But we all will next time on Marvel x Capcom: Black - The Calling!**_

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ : Holy crap. My longest chapter ever. I love this one, though. I hope I got their voices right. Stay Golden and Later Days. If you'll excuse me...

I gotta stuff my face with some chicken. - Thicket


	5. Track 5 - Pressure

_**DISCLAIMER: All related events, characters, and organizations belonging to Street Fighter are owned by Capcom. S.H.I.E.L.D., along with all other related events and characters, belong to Marvel. Anything else belongs to me, the L.I.T.T.**_

* * *

 _ **Last time on The Calling, Mickey finishes his story during his long interrogation with Cammy and Chun-Li. Brought in for questioning regarding his actions and motives, the two duty-bound fighters seek answers but find themselves in a much different situation...**_

* * *

 _ **I'm back, baby! Sorry for the wait. Enjoy. Less than three.**_

* * *

 _ **Track 5:**_

 _ **Pressure**_

 _ **Delta Red's Blackhallow Headquarters - London, UK**_

The heat lingers in the interrogation room. The hum of the lights above filled the interior, cutting the silence with a stinging sound. Mickey starts to waver; the lack of sleep taking an apparent toll on his body. The cold steel is uncomfortable, but it doesn't quite compare to seeing the equally chilly stares of his interrogators.

Beads of sweat start to form on his face, sending an unbearably cool feeling down his spine. Finding himself in a super-rare position, Mickey sighs.

"The longer we wait, the more time we don't have," he says.

With their interrogation mostly complete, Chun-Li and Cammy turn to each other with skeptical looks on their faces. In their mind, more questions than answers remained after hearing Mickey's story and the inquiries that followed it.

However, Mickey's mind was a snowstorm of thoughts. Thinking back to the altercation he and Sakura had with the mysterious woman, he starts to think. _How did that woman know about me? About Sakura? Who told her? And why the hell would she attack us? What the hell's going on in this world?!_

Clutching the back of his head, he lightly smacks his forehead on the table with a sigh. He presses his fingertips on his scalp, feeling the handcuffs and leg cuffs bring him down – literally and metaphorically. Signs of stress and anger are a bit more evident on his face as he stares the two officers down.

"I just can't fathom why S.H.I.E.L.D. would send one agent here," Cammy whispers to Chun-Li.

Unfortunately for her, Mickey's hearing allows him to hear Cammy's voice. His own whining voice brims to the surface, interrupting her.

"That's because you're not listening to me," he says in a huff. "Look. I know I'm not someone like Steve Rogers or Tony Stark o-or even - and especially - Melissa Gold, but I _swear_ on my _abuelita's_ _grave_ that I'm tellin' you the _truth!_ The Divide was damn near destroyed!"

 _Silence_.

Chun-Li gets up, seemingly uninfluenced by his words. "We'll be back shortly," she says as she makes her way out of the room.

Cammy follows her, her eyes locked on to Mickey with a hint of bellicosity behind them. "If I were you, I wouldn't try thinking of a way to escape. Don't move and keep quiet."

Mickey scoffs, softly chuckling in bewilderment. "You're kidding, right? Why would I—" The door closes with a slight thud, giving Mickey a quick jolt before he sighs. "Ugh, there's no time to waste…"

Suddenly, he hears a familiar and less-than-pleasant voice echoing in his mind. _**'It ain't too late, Boss. You know you…heh, you could always—'**_

' _Shut up. I'm not your—'_

 _ **'No! You shut up and you listen to me!'**_ The voice rings in Mickey's mind like a loud cymbal crash reverberating near his ear. As Mickey silently sits, the entity continues. _**'You know damn well that sitting in this shit-heap of a room isn't doin' us any goddamn favours!'**_

 _'I know.'_

 _ **'So...break out!'**_

 _'Don't be stupid. We can't. I can't. I'd be plugged full of holes. Now shut up and let me think...'  
_

 _ **'Or what? Heh, you're too much of a pu—'**_

Mickey puts his foot down by immediately bringing his fists down on the table with a hard thud. "I said shut the hell up!"

The door quickly opens as Cammy emerges, her voice loud and terse as she strides up to Mickey with alarming speed.

"And I told you to be _quiet!"_ She yells in his ear.

Her stare cuts through Mickey's soul - and ears - like a guillotine. He jolts in pain, taken aback by her assertion and the loud voice. Silent, Mickey tries to muffle his pained groans; he raises his hands, acquiescing to Cammy's request with a nod and a frown as he lowers his head.

For now, the entity remained silent. However, alone in that room, Mickey's mind echoes thoughts of doubt. His mind flashes to his life back in his world, thinking about the rumours carving away at his psyche like knife wounds. He looks around the room, feeling like screaming at the walls to keep them from closing in around him.

Listening to Cammy, Mickey sits…stewing in his silence and rage.

* * *

Slamming the door shut and irate about her next biggest problem, Cammy turns to Chun-Li as they make their way to another room, set up on the other side of the two-way mirror. "I _can't_ believe _he's_ the one that's been giving us these headaches," she groans, rolling her eyes.

Cammy holds her head as Chun-Li softly smiles, patting her friend's shoulder. "It's always tough, but it looks like you hurt him quite a bit," Cbun-Li says in a soft tone, thumbing at Mickey behind the mirror.

"Sorry about that..."

"I understand. But you don't have to—"

Cammy returns Chun-Li's friendly gesture with a small grin of her own. "I know, I know. Acting like that was excessive. I'm sorry. But he's so…he's like an irritating cliché."

"Yeah. There's something about him that seems off," Chun-Li says, staring at Mickey behind the mirror. After seeing him slam his fists on the table, she sees his slumped stature with pursed lips.

"A couple of things if you ask me," Cammy chides, keeping an eye on Mickey as she shakes her head.

Chun-Li frowns. "Do you think it might have something to do with—"

"No. We put a stop to Shadaloo years ago. They're _long_ gone."

Chun-Li nods, realizing what Shadaloo's demise meant for the two women. With the fall of M. Bison, closure regarding the disappearance of her father, an event that still haunts her, allowed her to focus on Li-Fen. And with its fall, Cammy's sordid past as a Doll is now a mere memory, distant and fleeting into obscurity. Nevertheless, the two women stare at the ground, knowing Shadaloo's penchant for longevity.

Cammy speaks up once more. "But if that man's a remnant of Shadaloo, we need to detain him immediately."

Nestled in the corner, a silent Sakura stands as she raises her voice, nervous for her new friend.

"Don't!" she says while Chun-Li and Cammy turn to her. "He's not one of them. Trust me. He's…kinda vulgar, but he's a good guy!"

"Sakura…" Cammy walks up to Sakura with a worried frown on her face. "You heard him and his story. Even if he _is_ a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., that organization hasn't arrived in our world in years. Besides, they would have said something...anything, really! Hell, even if they did, they wouldn't send someone like _him_."

"He's scared!"

"As far as we know, he's also a criminal," Chun-Li says, joining the conversation. She shows Sakura a tablet showing Mickey's crimes throughout the world. "Our intel tracked him all over the world with stunts and events like this, giving us problems. Interpol, Delta Red, even the C.I.A., too. And recently, your _friend_ made the national news with his assault on Balrog, so that makes things even more difficult for him."

"I know, but—"

Chun-Li places a hand on Sakura's shoulder with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but we just don't have enough evidence to believe him."

Sakura lowers her head, nervous for Mickey's safety. And then, her eyes widen as she gets an idea. "Oh! His back!"

Cammy and Chun-Li look at each other with confused expressions on their faces.

"What about it?" Cammy says.

"We went out for yakiniku the first time we met. After that, he took me home." Hearing those words, Sakura frowns, fearing her friends' reactions to that statement. "When he left, I saw a bit of a tattoo on his back."

And like Sakura feared, Cammy's stare narrows some more, becoming more anxious. "Sakura…" A shocked Sakura giggles.

"No! Not like _that_ , Cammy! Jeez!"

"You never know!"

Sakura shakes her head as she continues. "Anyway, it looked strange. It looked like the tattoo _meant_ something to him."

"Did you get a good look at it?"

"Kind of, yeah. It kinda looked like what you told me about S.H.I.E.L.D.," Sakura says to Chun-Li.

Suddenly, Chun-Li motions for the two to wait as they start to hear Mickey making a fit.

"Officers! Hey! Get my phone!" Mickey shouts. "I just…I have proof…"

"I'll be back," Chun-Li says. Cammy starts to follow her, but knowing her friend's abrasive personality, she eases her worries with a comforting tone. "Don't worry. I'll be okay."

* * *

Alone, Chun-Li enters the interrogation room again, ready to deal with Mickey's shenanigans. With his phone in an evidence container, she opens it as she stares him down. Except for the hum of the lights, there are no sounds as Chun-Li speaks.

"Alright, it's just you and me. Confess," she says, her voice stern. "Because right now, trying to convince Officer White should be the least of your—"

Mickey abruptly cuts Chun-Li off, pointing at the phone. "There's an audio recording there! On my phone! The password's...1-2-8-4."

His breathing is a little bit laboured as his eyes slowly dart to his phone. Mickey starts to stare into Chun-Li's eyes, but he quickly looks back to the phone. His posture is changed, his voice more apprehensive than it was before.

"It…It's a record of my friend's last words," Mickey mutters. Chun-Li reels back, recognizing the look in his eyes with a glint in her eye.

From behind the wall, Cammy furrows her brow, curious about Mickey's revelation. _"_ _Last words?"_ With a worried look, Sakura silently watches Cammy beside her as she turns to the scene.

"What are you talking about?" Chun-Li says in a cautious but softer tone. "And leave _no_ details out."

 _Silence_.

Mickey slouches in his chair, staring into the distance. "There's _one_ more thing I should tell you. I wanted to keep it a secret, but…she wouldn't want that."

 _"What…is it?"_ Chun-Li presses her palms on the steel table, craning her head closer to him. " _Who_ wouldn't want that? Tell me."

Mickey sighs with a nod.

"I met an unlikely friend in this world. Her name was Nozomi. She said it means 'hope' in Japanese. And yeah, she thought it was cheesy, too." He smiles softly before he frowns, a look of sadness on his face. "She was forced to work as a scientist for Shadaloo."

Chun-Li gasps, startled at his revelation. "What?"

"I didn't know about the organization, so I investigated. See what they're all about, y'know? Through a close call and a lucky break, Nozomi and I met in secret. We talked in private. She entrusted me to work behind the scenes to slow Shadaloo down a bit. As an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. - hell, as someone that knew how crazy Shadaloo was - I did what I felt was right. I agreed and soon after that, I traveled the world, disrupting small missions here and there. Nozomi was petty and loved Shadaloo being taken down a notch. I liked her smile." Mickey smiles. "We created a bond. As a result, she told me she found a way to stop a project called Operation—"

"Operation C.H.A.I.N.S.?!" Chun-Li says, bewildered by the news. She looks at the mirror as Cammy shifts in place, stunned by Mickey's words. "How did you…Do you mean _you_ —"

"If you're implying that I stopped Shadaloo, then no. I didn't. Nozomi was the one that set things in motion. _She_ created the way to stop Shadaloo. _You_ beat Shadaloo. …I just helped."

The tone to Chun-Li's voice changes, slightly curious about Mickey's words. "You know what we did? It was a couple of years ago, but we were the only ones."

"You and your friends, but yeah. I was there. I mean, the end of Shadaloo wasn't a _complete_ secret. It was all over the news! But…" Mickey grins. "I watched the destruction of Shadaloo HQ from afar. It was _kinda_ dope. You and Camila over there did this world a hell of a favour."

Cammy's face is fixed into a hilariously uptight expression upon hearing her name said that way. She scoffs. _"_ _Camila?"_

Sakura giggles as Mickey continues.

"Nozomi contacted two people: me and another person. She didn't say much about her friend, but they were close. Really close. I recorded our calls and the texts about him are all there."

"Who's he talking about?" Sakura says to Cammy.

Cammy turns to her. "Right, you weren't there. He's talking about someone named Rashid. He said he was looking for his friend," she replies. Her eyes lock onto Mickey, maintaining her standoffish nature from afar. "I'm pretty sure now that his friend is this Nozomi Mickey's talking about." _Who is this guy?_

"She believed in him. She trusted him to stop Shadaloo. But she took a hell of a risk. Because, for the first time in a long-ass time, someone took a chance on _me,_ " Mickey continues, tapping the table as a point of emphasis. He lowers his head. "She saw something in me that I didn't. And ironically enough, the sins of my past snuffed out her dreams of the future."

"Poetic," Chun-Li says, examining the footage. She sees Mickey scoff, shaking his head. "I assume I'll know more listening to this?"

Mickey gestures for her to play the video. Silent, Chun-Li does just that...

* * *

 _It was damning._

 _The voice recording started with the pants of a young woman, scared for her life. What follows next was troubling for Chun-Li: Mickey's voice radiating fear and concern; the woman's apologies; the last words between friends._

 _"Hey, Nozomi. What's_ _ _—_ "_

" _He's coming! Crap, h-he's...oh, God."_

" _Nozomi?"_

" _Shit, he's coming…"_

 _"Nozomi! W-what's wrong?"_

" _I-I can't…"_

" _Are you okay?! Who's coming? Yo, stay right there. I—"_

 _"No!" Nozomi whispered to Mickey, her tone quiet as she sniffled a bit. "Don't. It's too late to save me, anyways..."_

 _"No! No frickin' way am I gonna let anyone hurt you! Set the phone down and_ _ _—_ "_

 _"Mickey! Just—Please help my friend stop Shadaloo. Okay? For me?"_

" _Wait, wait_ _! Just…keep on talking to me, alright? I can—"_

" _It's okay, it's okay. You've risked your life for me. It's about time I return the favour, huh?"_

" _Nozomi, please..."_

" _If you see Rashid, tell him to keep his eyes on the horizon, okay? …You were wrong, you know. You're not so bad after all, mein Freund. Thank you, Mickey."_

* * *

Sakura's eyes widen in shock. _Mickey-san. That's why he says that…_

And then, Chun-Li hears footsteps followed by a familiar – and foul – voice _._ Just before it cuts out, she ascertains the source of that voice: F.A.N.G., one of the Four Kings, Bison's former second-in-command. With a deep frown, she hears the phone drop and Nozomi's gasps as the audio cuts out. Silence follows as Chun-Li glances at a miserable Mickey.

"I helped convince her that when Shadaloo would be destroyed, we'd celebrate in Berlin with her friend," Mickey says woefully, his tone growing colder. "...Nozomi died because I hesitated." His Queens accent lingers a bit as his anger brims to the surface. "So I won't. Not anymore. Here's _my_ offer. I don't know if the woman that tried to hurt Sakura and Nozomi's killer are workin' together, but I'm _gonna_ find out. I owe it to her friend, I owe it to myself, and I _especially_ owe it to her. So, these are _your_ options, lady."

Mickey leans forward.

"Let me go or _you_ and Camila over there will catch these hands." His eyes suddenly turn red as the tone to his voice gets more aggressive.

Sakura takes a step back, caught off guard by his blunt words. Chun-Li, however, doubles down by staring into Mickey's eyes.

"Assaulting an Interpol officer in Delta Red's headquarters is—"

Mickey summons the willpower to drive the strange entity back. "You ain't gonna stop me. Not you or Interpol or Delta...Blue or anyone else."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, you heard me. Nobody's stoppin' me from avenging Nozomi, figurin' out what the hell's going on in _your world,_ and cleanin' up _your_ mess!" He chuckles derisively. "And, yo, that ain't a threat. Those are facts." Mickey calms down as his muscles relax, taking a deep breath while weighing the consequences of what he just said in his head.

Silence lingers for a good, long while. Chun-Li pauses, glaring at Mickey as they settle into a silent battle of wills.

Her eyes narrow. "Aggravated assault, extensive property damage, criminal negligence, criminal recklessness, criminal endangerment, resisting arrest, and now threatening not one, but _two_ officers of the law with assault in police headquarters. You could…" She scoffs, completely in disbelief of Mickey's callous threats. "No. You're _going_ to jail for a long time if you keep this up."

Mickey chuckles, staring his Interpol enemy down. "I've been to the Raft, Officer. I've also read up on people like me in jails here. If you and your jails couldn't hold someone like Mayor Cody Travers over in Metro City, how long do you think those poor prisons will last against someone like me...meine Freundin?" The last couple words drips in derision as Mickey, eyes narrowed, shakes his head. "That cops-and-robbers-based mindset's narrow."

 _Silence._

Struck with incredulousness, Chun-Li starts to speak but thinks twice. In her mind, he was right. Given the slightest chance that he was telling the truth in his stories, she thought about what might happen to other, non-powered criminals if Mickey's powers ran afoul.

 _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,_ she thinks to herself as she sighs.

Mickey raises his eyebrows, shaking his head with a reconciliatory shake of the head. "I know I'm a pain in the ass right now, Officer…Chun-Li. But if you don't believe me at _this_ point, Sakura was there when the woman…Wait!" Using his love of ribbing crime shows, he turns to the one-way mirror. "Sakura! I know you're there! The necklace!"

Caught up in the tense situation, Sakura suddenly remembers the necklace they retrieved from their attacker. She holds it up to Cammy as Cammy stares down her friend.

"Sakura! You should've told me about this," Cammy groans.

"I…I thought I did!" Sakura says, her tone surprised. "You told me you'd check it out later! I—"

"I know. Just don't get upset, alright?" Cammy smiles before she takes the necklace, observing it. She suddenly gasps. "Are you _sure_ you found this necklace?"

Sakura nods furiously. "Yes! Mickey-san and I found it when a creepy guy attacked us!"

Cammy rushes into the interrogation room as Mickey and Chun-Li turn to her.

"Cammy?" Chun-Li says, slightly worried. "What's wrong—"

"This necklace?" Cammy says to Mickey, presenting the necklace. Mickey nods. "Are you sure?"

"They've been after me for…weeks? Months? It's been a while."

Cammy sighs, a look of anxiety is plastered all over her face. "…Let him go."

"Let him go?!" Chun-Li scoffs while Mickey holds back a pleased grin. "Why?"

Cammy holds out the locket in front of her friend. "It's _them_. They're back again."

Looking at the necklace's design, Chun-Li makes out the pyramidal icon as her eyes widen, turning to the mirror. "Sakura, come here!"

It doesn't take long for Sakura to follow the Interpol agent's order as she heads into the room. Cammy crosses her arms.

"You two met members of the Secret Society?"

Mickey and Sakura turn to each other with a look of worry and confusion before a junior officer of Delta Red barges through the room.

"Operative W-White!"

The officer, in his mid-to-late 20s with short, straight hair, fair skin, and a lanky frame, looks as if he's been through hell and he didn't enjoy it one bit. Clutching his Delta Red hat, he wipes the sweat from his brow.

Cammy, in a rather coarse tone, addresses him. "Yes, Operative Jackson. What is it?"

"T-There's a riot in Tokyo! The Rising Tide's gathering in Shibuya Crossing, making a scene! Multiple people are injured! I—"

"Settle down. I'll take care of it." Cammy turns to the rest. "I'll be back," she says to Chun-Li. "They're just a rowdy bunch of hooligans."

As soon as she leaves, Sakura turns to Mickey. "Mickey-san…"

Mickey nods. "Yeah." He turns to Chun-Li. "You have to take us with you. We gotta help her out."

Chun-Li, still showing a bit of skepticism about him, turns to the two. "And why should I?"

"Because we fought them before," Sakura says before turning to Mickey. The two new friends exchange a look before she nods, turning to Chun-Li once more. "And we think that this 'Secret Society' might have some new friends."

* * *

 **Earth-6 - Melissa Gold's Condo  
**

Melissa looks out of the window of her apartment overlooking Manhattan, shaking her head. A soft, sad jazz ballad plays in the room as the vocalist croons with a hauntingly beautiful voice...

Her voice.

It's a rainy afternoon as small raindrops reflect teardrops streaming down her face. Melissa takes a second to stare at her phone, smiling fondly at a picture of her and Mickey goofing off after training.

 _Two years is long enough. ...Mickey, hold on. I'm coming to get you out. I promise._

* * *

 _ **What happened? Who's the Rising Tide and what's their purpose in Shibuya Crossing? And how are they related to this 'Secret Society'? Find out next time on MxC: Black - the Calling!**_

* * *

 **A/N:** Whew! Finally updated. Lemme know what you think. Don't worry. The stories will work and connect so more Marvel characters will find out Mickey's story and what it means for both worlds. And who knows? You might like what I've set up in the future. Later days. - L.I.T.T.


	6. Track 6 - Heard 'Em Say

_**DISCLAIMER: All related events, characters, and organizations belonging to Street Fighter are owned by Capcom. S.H.I.E.L.D., along with all other related events and characters, belong to Marvel. Anything else belongs to me, the L.I.T.T.**_

* * *

 _ **Last time on The Calling...  
**_

 _ **After Mickey finished talking about his backstory and motives with Cammy and Chun-Li, the trio - along with Sakura - received word that a familiar foe to him re-emerged in Tokyo. Sensing the upcoming storm, Sakura and Mickey frantically tried to convince Chun-Li to let them go while Cammy assesses the situation. Meanwhile, in Mickey's world, Melissa starts thinking about the day the mysterious woman terrorized S.H.I.E.L.D.**_

 _ **...And what it would take to get Mickey back. As the story continues.**_

* * *

 _ **Long story short, it's been a hell of a rollercoaster ride the last few months. Hopefully, my recent surge of creativity can make up for the wait. Lemme know what you guys think. Less than three.**_

* * *

 _ **Track 6:**_

 _ **Heard 'Em Say**_

Back in the world through the Divide, Cammy makes her way to Blackhallow Headquarters' Situation Room. Walking past groups of Delta Red operatives and staff, her gait is poised, a completely stone-faced expression highlighted all over her face.

As she strides past them, her thoughts are a hodgepodge of recent events. Her mind wonders about Mickey's arrival in the world, whether his words ring true, and his conveniently inconvenient experience with the Secret Society.

' _Just what does that man know about them?'_ Cammy meditates through her walk. ' _I thought they were just…'_

Cammy shakes her head, too distraught over Mickey's backstory.

 _Was it true? Is it? It's_ _…been so long. Why him?_ Cammy's thoughts amplify as rumours of a figure accosting Mickey rattle in her mind…a figure awfully familiar to her. _Was she talking about Mickey?_

Putting her thoughts – and her nagging headache – off to the side, Cammy steps inside of the Situation Room, witnessing a chaotic scene: Delta Red officers frantically moving in and out of the room; other operatives, those dealing in communication with groups on the field, searching for a unit available.

And in the middle of it all, a small but vocal and nervous-looking Delta Red lieutenant, frustrated, sighs before turning to Cammy, her freckled face forming a soft but weary smile before she stands at attention.

Cammy nods to her with a salute. "Lieutenant Ackerson. I heard there was a commotion."

A worried **Lieutenant Hanna Ackerson** greets her with the same salute. "Operative White! Oh, Cammy, am I _glad_ to see you." She looks at the large screen occupying one of the walls of the Situation Room. "I assume Operative Jackson filled you in, yeah?"

With a soft smile, Cammy pats Ackerson's shoulder before focusing on the scene, crossing her arms as she does so. "Somewhat. He was awfully jittery."

Cammy watches with a bit of uneasiness as Tokyo's citizens – specifically the people in Shibuya Crossing – are harassed and harangued by a small group of men all dressed in white, wearing stylized leather bomber jackets.

"I'm afraid Jackson isn't the only one," Hanna utters. _"He's_ back."

Wearing an odd, pyramidal necklace around their necks, they are accosted by a peculiar man – one Cammy doesn't know about. _"Who's_ that guy?" Cammy asks before pointing her finger at him.

The intimidating man's dark shocks of hair, quite unique in his hairstyle, is wild and pointed at the ends, akin to that of an anime protagonist. His bomber jacket has gold trims, indicative to that of a person of authority. His pyramidal necklace is thicker than the rest, armed with two razor-like bladed brass knuckles and a long wooden sword, weapons as black as his morbid smile.

His crass Japanese words are spoken in a local accent, filled with demands and short but powerful thrust kicks towards civilians, one of them especially aimed towards an elderly man. Seeing the encounter, a miffed Ackerson shakes her head.

 _"He_ is Josuke Ichikawa: known criminal, an ally of the Yakuza, and leader of the Rising Tide," she says to Cammy. "We don't have a lot of information on him. He's…slippery."

Cammy purses her lips. _'Probably the Society, that's why.'_

Ackerson, seeing Cammy's stress, continues with a frown, holding her shoulder, easing her friend's stress. "However, he's been making quite the scene in Tokyo as of late. …Probably as a result of what happened to his men a couple of months ago."

"What happened?" Cammy asks.

From the corner of their eyes, the two women spot Chun-Li nearby with Sakura. In chains, Mickey shuffles his feet behind them, two other Delta Red members beside him. As Ackerson thumbs over to them, Cammy, stunned, points to them.

"It was _those_ two?" Cammy says, her eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Hanna, with a surprised smile, nods before Mickey suddenly spots something else the rest didn't see.

"What the…?" he says, shuffling his feet forward before the officers stop him.

Cammy furrows her brow at him while a worried Ackerson frowns at his grief.

"What's your problem _now?"_ Cammy says to Mickey.

Mickey's eyes widen. "That."

Pointing at the screen, the group watches a scene taking place. As a civilian attempts to stop the Rising Tide's chaos, Josuke looks at him, muttering a crude phrase while shaking his head. Suddenly, his necklace, along with his bladed knuckles, twinkles with an odd, white light…with specks of an oddly blue hue.

Mickey couldn't believe it. His voice is shaky, completely unlike his jovial and confident tone. "T-that looks familiar. No, no, no, no, no…no way. No frickin' way."

Sakura gasps. "That necklace is different. It kinda looks like your little spheres, Mickey-san."

Shaking his head, Mickey stutters. "N-no, Sakura. I think it's a bit more than that. _…Holy shit!"_

Suddenly, the Situation Room stops after hearing Mickey and sees Josuke slicing the air with his knuckles, causing the same light to cascade around the man and hurl him into the air.

Josuke cackles before cracking the ground with his wooden sword, a vibrant light surrounding the weapon. "しんじまえ! _(Go to hell!)"_

His necklace glows again as an unseen force causes the poor civilian to drop to the ground like an egg carton, breaking his spectacles. Ending his brand of punishment, Josuke smiles happily, simply kicking the civilian like a pebble, hurling him end over end.

Speechless, Chun-Li gasps, looking at Cammy before the two agents nod in unison. "Lieutenant Ackerson, take us to Tokyo," she says to Ackerson.

Ackerson, stunned herself, stammers. "R-right away, Officer Chun-Li."

"And make sure _these two_ remain in your care," Cammy adds, gesturing to Sakura and Mickey.

Sakura gasps. "Cammy!"

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but right now, they're looking for revenge." Cammy sees Sakura make a stunned expression, miffed as Cammy assures her. "I just don't want you to be hurt. And I want you to keep an eye out, okay? Stay with Hanna."

"But I'm not little anymore!" Sakura shakes her head. "I can—"

Cammy immediately turns to her, her tone quite worried for her. "Sakura, please!"

Her tone is succinct, highlighted by a look of worry on her face. As Sakura frowns and looks away from her, Cammy sighs and smiles, paying Mickey no mind as she and Chun-Li frantically make their way to Tokyo.

Mickey, however, doesn't care as he looks at the screen, his attention aimed at Josuke with a look of sheer shock and anger. Ackerson, not really harbouring the feelings of irritation Cammy does around him, steps closer to him.

"Do _you_ know what happened?" she asks him.

Mickey nods, looking down at her, his tone eerily serious. "…Hanna, right?"

" _Lieutenant_ Ackerson," Ackerson replies, her tone curt but soft. "But, yes, what is it?"

Mickey's eyes widen, his tone filled with anxiety. "Well, Lieutenant…there's only one thing I know that can create light like that. But…" He starts to kneel, tall enough for his eyes to meet hers. "Ha…Lieutenant, you need to uncuff me so Sakura and I can help them and I can go get Daimonic back."

Not really convinced, Ackerson looks at an eager Sakura before narrowing her eyes at Mickey. "Daimonic? What? Wait, why on Earth are you—Wait, why _should_ I?"

Looking at Ackerson, Mickey sees images of Josuke, the event firmly in his mind. "B-because if I'm right, and I hope to hell I'm not, I think we got bigger problems…"

Ackerson, looking deep into Mickey's eyes, looks at Sakura as she nods, backing up Mickey's worries. Crossing her arms, her friendly disposition wins out slightly over her sense of duty for a bit, narrowing her eyes suspiciously towards him.

"Alright. Stop kneeling like a child. You have my attention." Ackerson stands straight. "Talk."

* * *

 _ **Earth-6 - Manhattan, New York**_

Back in Mickey's world, Melissa sniffs, sitting on the floor, resting the back of her head on the couch while staring at the ceiling fan.

Going through a typical night for her, she tries to calm down, focusing on the reporter recalling events all over Earth in the background to soothe her.

For Melissa, the breaking news was par for the course: recent talks regarding the 'doomed history' of the Avengers; a few protests sparking the rise of anti-mutant reactionaries around cities like Washington, D.C.; two-bit criminals and minor supervillains being taken care of by small-time heroes.

Although typical for her, Melissa shakes her head, thinking about more than the same issues plaguing the world. "Same old news, huh?"

After signing the Sokovia Accords, she starts to think about her decision, wondering if she made the right one. Despite her own past, she wonders if the Accords would be enough to quell a startling wave of chaos around the world.

However, as she looks at her phone and her picture with Mickey still etched in her mind, Melissa frowns, pushing her thoughts to the side. Her own personal demons creep into her mind once again.

' _Guess Mickey was up to something,'_ she ponders. _'Rogers was right. We can't sit back and let governments just dictate our actions.'_ Melissa gets up, pacing back and forth. _'Especially when people like that strange woman can just…pop through portals leading to other worlds. She's still out there!'_

Pent up and frustrated over the recent events in her life, she takes a moment to breathe, rubbing her face with her hands _._ Although Abe being around to comfort her would ease her worries, the fact that Mickey was still missing starts to make Melissa feel more uneasy.

And suddenly, Melissa takes her phone, listening to a song Mickey recommended to her. Despite her not being a fan of the genre, she hums the chorus, resonating with the lyrics. _"With every worthless word we get more far away…and nothing's ever promised tomorrow today…"_

Tapping her fingers, Melissa thinks about her conversations with Mickey as she smiles. ' _That woman and her stable of goons damn near destroyed the Triskelion before HYDRA did. …She knows something. And I'll bet my ass someone helped her.'_

Melissa cranes her head after hearing old footage of the Avengers fighting, chuckling sardonically at how much the world changed since that day. And suddenly, ruminating on that same motto that she adopted in the Thunderbolts, she gets an idea.

' _No one gets left behind.'_

"Screw it!" Melissa finally says, taking her phone.

Heading out the door, her face is fixed into a resolute expression, wiping the dry tears from her face. Stepping out of her apartment with her backpack, she focuses on the impossible…bringing Mickey back and finding out the cause of the chaos in the Triskelion years ago.

As she makes a call to a certain individual, Melissa holds on to the hug she shared with Mickey. _'Hold on, Mickey. You're not alone anymore.'_

Heading to a nearby alley, she channels her voice and summons her vibrant solid-sound wings, taking to the skies.

' _I'm coming for you…and I won't be alone either. …Come on, Clint.'_

* * *

 _ **Clint? She didn't mean that**_ _**Clint, right? Hmmmm. Meanwhile, what's the connection with the Secret Society and the Rising Tide? Who's the Rising Tide. And will Cammy and Mickey see some common ground? Or will one of them hit the floor? Wink.**_

 _ **Hold on, guys. The fists will fly next chapter on Marvel x Capcom: Black - the Calling!**_

* * *

 **A/N:** If you'll excuse me, finding a job is frustrating so...I'm going to stress some more. Love you. - L.I.T.T.


End file.
